Raul Midón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raul Midón
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Raul Midón at TED2007 in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Born | March 14, 1966 Embudo, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop jazz, Latin Jazz, Latin pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, mouth trumpet |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Artistry |
Raul Midón (born March 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from New Mexico. He is known for his unique blend of pop, jazz, and Latin music. Raul is also famous for his special way of making trumpet sounds with his mouth, called "mouth trumpet."
Contents
About Raul Midón
His Early Life
Raul Midón was born early in a hospital in Embudo, New Mexico. His parents were from Argentina and were African-American. His father was a dancer who performed traditional dances from Argentina. Raul grew up in the Catholic faith.
Raul and his twin brother, Marco, were blind when they were babies. This happened because of a problem with their eyes while they were in an incubator. Music became very important to Raul when he was only four years old. His father first taught him to play the drums.
Raul learned to play the guitar while attending a school for the blind. He then went to Santa Fe Preparatory School for his last two years of high school, finishing in 1984. After high school, Raul chose to study jazz at the University of Miami. He graduated from the university in 1990.
His Music Career
Raul Midón started his career as a singer who helped other Latin music artists record their songs. He worked with famous musicians like Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias, and Jose Feliciano. After touring with Shakira, he moved to New York City to start his own music career.
In New York City, Raul worked with producer and DJ Little Louie Vega. He wrote and recorded several songs with Vega and his team. One of these songs was "Cerca De Mi." Raul also toured Europe, Japan, and Australia with Vega's band, Elements of Life, in 2003 and 2004.
A famous music producer named Arif Mardin signed Raul Midón to Manhattan Records. Raul was the first artist Mardin had ever signed in his long career. Mardin and his son, Joe, produced Raul's first album, State of Mind, in 2005. This album featured guest performances by Stevie Wonder, who was one of Raul's heroes. Another artist, Jason Mraz, also appeared on the album. Raul even wrote a song called "Sittin' in the Middle" to honor Donny Hathaway.
Raul is also interested in amateur radio. He used his radio call sign (KB5ZOT) with Morse code in one of his songs. In 2007, he released another album called A World Within a World. Raul's song "Adam n' Eve n' Eve" was played during the credits of Spike Lee's 2004 film, She Hate Me. His song "Everybody" was also featured in the movie The Peaceful Warrior.
Raul made his first national TV appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in June 2005. In 2006, Herbie Hancock featured Raul on his album Possibilities. On this album, Raul sang Stevie Wonder's song "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
In 2008, Raul built a music studio at his home. He got help from companies that design technology for blind people. This studio allowed him to make music from home without needing an engineer. He recorded vocals and guitar for his song "Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" there. This song appeared on Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca's album Akokan. Raul calls his home studio "The Basement Studio."
Raul worked with producer Larry Klein on his 2009 album, Synthesis. He moved to Santa Monica, California, while recording this album. The album featured many talented musicians. Two years later, he released a live album and DVD. His 2014 album, Don't Hesitate, was recorded at his home studio. This album included appearances by Lizz Wright, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller, and Richard Bona. Raul also wrote the song "Mi Amigo Cubano" with Bill Withers. This song led to the film Still Bill in 2014.
In 2015, Raul joined the judging panel for the Independent Music Awards. He had also been a judge for these awards in 2012 and 2013. In 2016, he toured the United States with other musicians as part of the Monterey Jazz Festival.
In 2018, Raul released If You Really Want. This album was a recording he made with the Metropole Orkest and Vince Mendoza. He received his second Grammy Nomination for this album in the Best Vocal Jazz Album category. Raul also sang as a guest on vibraphonist Joe Locke's 2018 album, "Subtle Disguise."
In 2019, Raul received a special award from the University of Miami. It was for being a distinguished former student. He also gave a speech at his old high school, Santa Fe Prep.
In 2020, Raul released his album "The Mirror." During the pandemic, he couldn't tour as much. He used this time to work with other artists. He recorded "Hold Tight" with Jaime Lozano and "Rise Up" with Henrik Schwarz. He also took part in a new version of "Along The Watchtower/Breathe" with Joe Locke to support the Black Lives Matter movement. As a solo artist, he released singles like "Dancing Off The Edge" and "Song For America." A video for "Dancing Off The Edge" showed fans from all over the world dancing. Raul also performed from his home studio for NPR's Tiny Desk Home Edition.
In 2021, Raul's album "The Mirror" was nominated for a Libera Award for best jazz album. He was also a featured guest on Alex Cuba's Grammy-winning album "Mendó."
During the pandemic, Raul recorded his first album that only featured instruments. It was called Eclectic Adventurist. This album has guitar duets with many other guitarists. It was released in 2022 on his own record label, ReKondite ReKords.
In 2022, Raul performed at the Kennedy Center with the NSO. This show was filmed for PBS and later aired on TV.
In 2023, Raul recorded his 13th solo album, Lost & Found. The first song from this album, "Keep On Keeping On," was released in December 2023.
His Music Albums
As the main artist
- Gracias a La Vida (1999)
- Blind to Reality (2001)
- Live Limited Edition (2004)
- State of Mind (2005)
- A World Within a World (2007)
- Synthesis (2009)
- Invisible Chains Live from NYC (2012)
- Don't Hesitate (2014)
- If You Really Want (2018)
- The Mirror (2020)
- Eclectic Adventurist (2022)
- Lost & Found (2024)
As a guest artist
- Queen Latifah, The Dana Owens Album (2004)
- Herbie Hancock, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (2005)
- Snoop Dogg, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
- Marcus Miller, A Night In Monte-Carlo (2010)
Movie Soundtracks
- Terence Blanchard, She Hate Me: Music From The Motion Picture (2004)
- Peaceful Warrior (2006)
Documentaries
- Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (DVD) (2006)
- Bill Withers Still Bill (2011)
- The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story (2013)
- An Evening With Eric Holder (2017)
See also
In Spanish: Raul Midón para niños
