| Interview breakout session with Raul Malo at the 2023 Waterfront Blues Festival with Curtis Salgado, produced by Erika Olsen (Peter Dervin photo) |
| If people feel a sense of inclusive joy when they hear the Mavericks’ music, then I’ve done my job. —Raul Malo, 2024 (The Tennessean) |
Love and loss are on my mind as my sister, Shelly, and I wrap up another trip to Florida to see Mom and stepdad Don for our annual early Christmas. Me and my sis hugged and sweetly wept as we watched Mom (84 and going strong) and Don (94 and dealing with advanced Alzheimer’s) sway together to When a Woman Loves a Man by Esther Phillips. We’re so lucky: As Don fades, it’s his abiding love that shines through. And these moments — when music, dance, and love converge — can break my heart wide open.
A profound loss this week was the December 8 passing of Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks*. Born Raul Francisco Martinez-Malo, he was raised by Cuban immigrant parents in Miami, Florida, and was 60 years old. Each time I’ve seen The Mavericks in concert counts as a peak experience in my life. The joy and love were always palpable, the energy they produced both astonishing and beautiful. Dancing was not required, but compelled. Raul’s sublime tenor could rip your heart out one moment and buoy it to the heavens the next, while the band poured forth fantastically fun and exquisitely talented musical mayhem.
Shelly and I had the good fortune to attend a small breakout session with Raul in 2023 at the invitation of the event’s producer, Erika Olsen. In a cozy conference room at a hotel adjacent to the Waterfront Blues Festival (which The Mavericks headlined that year), Curtis Salgado conducted the interview. Like a fireside chat, it left me forever charmed. Erika described the session as “an intimate hour that felt like a gift — stories, songs, laughter, and a glimpse into the journey of an extraordinary artist.”
When people so beloved and full of love are lost, it’s not only heart-rending but a frank reminder to cherish our blessings. Peter Dervin (who took the photo above) said of Raul — and I agree and extend to Don as well — “Grateful to have been able to witness your magnificence.”
Unabashedly celebrate your love for music and dance this week whenever and wherever you’re able. Scroll below for ideas on where you might go and find more events online at the Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan
*P.S. Watch a brilliant performance by The Mavericks at the virtual 2021 Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival (~35 minutes)