| Latin Jazz |
Raul Midón is an artist who defies classification, with his Latin culture, jazz, and a certain form of pop culture at the heart of his work, making him truly unique. From my point of view, “Lost & Found” is the album that most embodies his essence, delivering the core of his art both in terms of lyrics and music. The title track serves as an introduction, and like all of Raul’s albums, it follows a narrative principle. Joyful music with complex arrangements satisfies fans of beautiful melodies, but Raul Midón is also a vocalist, and on this new album, he plays this role to perfection, further affirming his skill as an actor/ interpreter.
It’s almost impossible to encapsulate the career of such an artist, but let’s touch on a few points here: “In 1999, he was invited to join Shakira’s touring band. During this time, he was creating his own original music and was signed for a development deal with Warner Chappell. He left Shakira’s band to move to New York to pursue his own career. Within a year, he made his Carnegie Hall debut with Spike Lee’s film music. Spike hired him to write the end credits song for ‘She Hate Me.’ Meanwhile, Raul was signed by legendary producer Arif Mardin to his Blue Note imprint, Manhattan Records. With Arif’s son, Joe Mardin, they produced and released two albums, the acclaimed ‘State of Mind’ and ‘A World Within A World.’ Raul made his television debut on David Letterman’s Late Show, followed by performances on Leno, Ferguson, and Jimmy Kimmel. In England, on Later with Jools Holland, and in France, on One Shot Not with Manu Katche.” This is an excerpt from his biography, which barely scratches the surface of his creative abilities, as evidenced by the album “Lost & Found.”
It’s truly Raul Midón’s vast cultural knowledge that jumps out at you when you listen to this album. At times, I even wondered if he was paying homage to the English band The Who with certain guitar riffs. Everything on this album is more assertive than on previous albums; this “The Who” vibe can also be found, for example, on the track “Next Time” against a backdrop of Latin jazz. Regardless, it sounds fantastic, reminiscent of those albums meticulously crafted in the 1970s to bring out the best. Raul Midón is one of those artists, a hard worker who, once on stage, is a true star in action.
I particularly love all the sonic explorations found on this album. I mentioned an English rock band, but there’s also a hint of Michael Franks and many other influences in this artist. Through his music and his truly magical voice, Raul Midón takes you on a journey from track to track, culminating in one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, with breathtakingly beautiful lyrics, “Wall Of Indifference.” It’s the complete opposite of what this album represents, and I adore the contrasts that range from power to poetic gentleness. It’s always impressive to dream of such a great artist, a highly skilled guitarist, composer, and accomplished singer, and to realize in the end that “Lost & Found” has all the makings of a musical or a movie musical; the ingredients are there, and we can dream. In fact, this album is a true invitation to reverie, and we would be foolish to resist it.
“Lost and Found” already seems to have pleased promoters, which is always a good sign for an album of this caliber, with a large number of dates already scheduled that you can find on the artist’s website.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 27th 2024
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