Artist Raul Malo

As the driving force behind The Mavericks, Raul Malo was a Nashville hit-maker who garnered frequent comparisons to Roy Orbison. As a solo artist, though, he leans closer to his hometown of Miami and its roots in Cuban music. Malo likes to take his time: He waited five years to follow up his 2001 solo debut, Today, with You’re Only Lonely, but in between, he returned to his twangy roots on The Nashville Acoustic Sessions, playing pared-down versions of Mavericks songs, his own solo material, and numerous covers. 2007’s After Hours found the singer giving jazzy readings to country songs from the likes of Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam, while 2010’s Sinners And Saints finds Malo addressing more personal subjects like the fleeting nature of fame. 

Updated 05/09/2011