Raul Midón (B.M. ’90), returned to perform in celebration of the University of Miami’s Homecoming Week as part of the Frost Music Live Concert Series.
Dean Berg felt that "Raul Midón is so deserving of this award. He truly personifies what a student at our school can achieve. This was a special evening, a special performance and a thrill to be able to honor Raul’s extraordinary talent and exemplary accomplishments during our Homecoming Week celebration."
Upon receiving the award, Raul Midón said, " I learned so much being here [at Frost]...And I was able to take what I learn out... I networked...[I] did a whole bunch of gigs with people here that went to the same school. Everywhere in the world, I have met people who came to the University of Miami in my industry. Thank you for having me here and letting me come to this distinguished place.”
The New York Times has called Midón "A one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus." People Magazine dubbed him "An eclectic adventurist and the Frost School of Music is proud to call him 'FrostBuilt!'"
Midón is a contemporary singer-songwriter whose impassioned acoustic guitar playing – a mix of rock, classical, and flamenco – has received as much attention as his smooth, relaxed voice. Blind since birth, he was born in Embudo, New Mexico, to an Argentine father and American mother. He began playing drums early in his childhood, before switching to guitar and experimenting with flamenco, jazz, and classical styles on his chosen instrument. While attending Frost to pursue a degree in Jazz Performance he moonlighted as a background vocalist for Latin pop recording sessions. Along with releasing ten studio albums as a solo artist, he has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers, and contributed to recordings by Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me.”