Singer-songwriter Raul Midon performs Friday Oct. 12 at AMP by Strathmore. Photo by Samuel Prather.
Singer-songwriter Raul Midon made a splash on the indie music scene in 2005 with his album “State of Mind.” Here was a musician, blind since birth, with a soulful voice, a style of finger-picking you don’t often hear on guitar, and a mouth trumpet that sounds like the real thing. His songs were easy to get into and had these deep grooves, often with positive lyrics.
In the years since, Raul has been through the highs and lows of a troubled music industry — he was signed to Blue Note for an album or two, then picked up by Universal for a record before deciding to strike out on his own.
In 2008, Raul and his wife, Kathleen, (who is also his manager) relocated to Laurel Maryland, where he has his own recording studio.
If you’ve never seen Raul Midon live, it’s pretty wild what he can do. In this clip of him performing his song “Sunshine I Can Fly” from his 2012 live album “Invisible Chains,” he plays the acoustic guitar with his left hand, taps on a hand drum with his right hand and sings the melody of the song all at once. No delays, no loop pedals, no effects.
Raul Midon has been on a hot streak lately — his last album “Bad Ass and Blind” was nominated for a Grammy, this past summer he did a Tiny Desk Concert, and for his new album “If You Really Want” he’s teaming up with Holland’s Metropole Orkest. He’s also performing at AMP by Strathmore on Friday Oct. 12, and we’re thrilled to welcome Raul Midon in studio now on Baltimore Hit Parade.
