Raul Malo: His Best Vocal Performances

The Mavericks cut a unique figure in the music scene of the early Nineties, a rootsy band from the hip-hop mecca of Miami, Florida, with a Cuban-American frontman and a sound that fused rock, pop, country, and Latin influences. They were big with mainstream fans and college-radio types, too. The heartbroken lead single and title track from their debut album is a gorgeous showcase for Malo’s warm, elegant voice, reflecting his Cuban roots as well as classic Fifties snd Sixties ballads, and distinct from anything else on country radio. —Jon Dolan

Malo’s quavering baritone gives real depth and power to this desolate romantic ballad. “Here comes the night as dark as my soul,” he sings as guitars shimmer and chime around him, making the song sound as much like a forlorn power-pop tune as a Nashville weeper. Even though the Mavericks were a little too musically Catholic to fit into any one category, the song still won them a Grammy in 1996 for Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo. —J.D.

“Every Little Thing About You” was such a fan favorite of Malo’s debut solo album, 2001’s Today, that it also became an integral part of the Mavericks’ set lists (they played it as recently as this July during a show in Eugene, Oregon). The song, swaying and brooding, is the very definition of a slow-burner, with Malo savoring each and every note until the track’s thrilling crescendo. “In time I’ll forget about you/but I’m still missing every little thing about you!” Malo bellows, before going on to ad lib “every little thing” over and over. —Joseph Hudak

Coming in at Number 159 on Rolling Stone‘s 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time, this blast of country and Tejano music became the Mavericks’ biggest hit on the Billboard country chart — reaching Number 13 in 1996. It’s an irresistibly spry Tex-Mex groover: organ spritz on the two and the four, insistent shakers and hi-hats throughout, and Malo’s handsomely husky tenor having the time of its life. All of it is a setup for Flaco Jiménez’s accordion, constantly commenting on the action and assuming a comfortable place in front of the music whenever it flickers into earshot. —Marissa R. Moss

Despite the joy Raul Malo took in singing in Spanish during Mavericks concerts, it wasn’t until 2020 that the band released their first-ever all-Spanish album, simply titled En Español. “Recuerdos,” which Malo co-wrote, was an immediate standout of the LP, as the singer allowed his voice to boom and echo. It is a massive performance. “This is the record I’ve been wanting the Mavericks to make for a very long time,” Malo said upon the album’s release. That “Recuerdos” translates to “memories” makes it all the more moving now. —J.H.

From Seger’s “Turn the Page” to Willie’s “On the Road Again,” there’s no shortage of “life on the road” songs in music. But few are as vulnerable as “Pardon Me,” a sleeper track off the Mavericks’ 2015 album Mono. In the lyrics, Malo admits his life is a golden one, but sometimes even the most fantastical of dreams can take their toll: the shows are stacked, the nights long, and the expectations of fans (especially a “lady friend in every town waiting for the phone to ring”) are great. “Most of the time I feel alright, with the life I chose to lead/Tonight I’m not myself at all, so pardon me,” Malo sings. The hurt and resignation in his voice will wreck you, but the show goes on. —J.H.

Malo recorded the crooning ballad that Roy Orbison made famous for a stripped-down highlight of 2004’s Nashville Acoustic Sessions. There are few better showcases for Malo’s richly expressive voice than the 1963 Orbison hit, from which Malo wrings emotion by turning the volume (and his acoustic accompaniment) way down. In doing so, the singer transformed a song used as a vocal showcase by everyone from Orbison to Linda Rondstadt into an understated, heart-wrenching lullaby. —Jonathan Bernstein

For the 2019 compilation Play the Hits, the Mavericks assembled some of their favorite cover songs. Chief among them was “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” the aching ballad that country-Tejano singer Freddy Fender turned into a hit in 1975. The weeper was the perfect vehicle for Raul Malo and his heaven-sent voice: It was based in themes of heartbreak and devotion, featured lyrics in both English and Spanish, and served as a bridge to the musicians who influenced him. Finding superb Malo vocal performances is simple, but few are as moving as this one. Concrete proof that he was one of the greatest singers on the planet. —J.H.

The Mavericks delivered the ultimate pledge of devotion with this song off their 2013 reunion album, In Time. “Come Unto Me” captures the band at full strength: Spanish beats coexist alongside spy-rock guitar licks, gang vocals echo in the chorus, and Malo’s voice is both forceful and passionate. Just listen to him sing, in staccato rhythm, “For here I am and I will stay/to long for you in every way.” It’s a declaration of commitment — perhaps a furtive one — but you can’t help but believe it, thanks to the emotion Malo conveys. —J.H.

One of the Mavericks’ most popular songs is a light, fun, Latin-tinged pop-rock banger with joyful horns and a bright danceable groove. “Lyrically, it just sounded like an escape,” Malo recalled, “it sounded like you just needed to get away from whatever you were doing, and that was really the inspiration, a bit of escapism.” Hooked to a fun video where the band played in a supermarket, it became a hit on charts all over the world. —J.D.

The Mavericks put their own spin on Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s standard for the 1995 soundtrack to Apollo 13, a vocal performance by Malo that is, in fact, out of this world. While he’d become more defined by his baritone in later years, here, Malo’s falsetto is on full display. It’s a hauntingly gorgeous croon that shows just how truly vast his range was. The Mavericks were so proud of the recording that it ended up on their 2004 compilation, The Definitive Collection, right alongside signatures “What a Crying Shame” and “Dance the Night Away.” —J.H.

Around 2010, Malo made an appearance on a radio show in front of a live audience and sang “O Sole Mio,” the Neapolitan classic. A video of the performance appeared on YouTube and, to watch it, is to experience the full spectrum of Malo’s voice and presence. It is operatic, spiritual, casually elegant, and wholly captivating. And it’s barely two minutes long. —J.H.