The author, composer and interpreter Cuban Raul Paz is the exceptional guest of the world of Élodie on the occasion of the release of his album “Guarijo Chic”. In this second episode, he evokes the title “It’s like that”, which he wrote and composed for Florent Pagny.
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Raul Paz is the exceptional guest of the world of Élodie on Franceinfo with her 12 albums and in particular the latest, Guajiro Chicreleased in March 2025. This recognized, respected Cuban artist’s journey which forces respect, has become a source of hope and inspiration for those who struggle to believe in a better and freer future.
Franceinfo: France welcomed you at 27 years old. It was a huge revelation, you studied and worked there. Does she have a particular flavor this France?
Raul Paz: Yes, I often say that I was lucky to have several lives. This French life was extraordinary, especially since I did not imagine coming. I was a classical music student at the time and considered either to go to Germany, France or Italy. Finally, it was France that arrived, but I was not prepared at all. I did not speak my tongue and after, I was fascinated.
“My arrival in France was a gift.”
The first evening, I was at the Trabendo, the Villette, and there, there was a “jam-session” world musicians. There were everyone, Africans, Asians and there, I said to myself: “This is where I want to be”. France represented the beginning of a life. This is where I had my first job, I had never worked.
At the same time, when you arrived, you were very poor and you did not have the means.
I had nothing. I even went to the metro, one day, to play with a boyfriend, try to win something. We won nothing. I sang in bars, always with great enthusiasm, I knew it could go. I was surprised by the way you have the French, to accept the art and music of others. This is the first time I have worked, that I had children, that I have paid taxes. Even that was something very symbolic for me who was a child from a country who no longer wanted me. I especially learned a word which, today, is used without much meaning and which I really like: freedom. I am eternally grateful.
How did you learn that you were no longer at home in Cuba?
It was hard because I didn’t want to leave. I had young parents and I saw myself badly elsewhere. The fact of studying elsewhere was to consider as a betrayal. So overnight, I was told: “You don’t go back. Either you leave and give up your school, or you stay”. I called my father who was a good communist and he said to me: “My son you are 27 years old, it’s your life, your choice. No one can do it for you”. So I decided to stay. I had my papers, I was not illegal, in France, there was my school. This is the biggest decision of my life.
You are the only Cuban artist who has succeeded worldwide, with the Buenavista Social Club. Does that affect you, to tell yourself that you are the most important artist representative in the country?
It touches me much more when I have messages from Cubans who have never left Cuba. There, I had a little message from a lady who follows me on the networks. She knew that I came to France to present my new album. I was a little afraid because it’s been a long time. She wrote to me: “Go ahead, represent us well as we are! “ It touches me a lot to have simple people who think that you can also be a little representative of their thought and their way of seeing things.
I would like us to talk about the song That’s how it For Florent Pagny. You worked a lot with him and it also gave birth later to the album Habana.
Florent, made songs in Spanish and his son said to him: “You should go see this Cuban singer”. At the time, I had made an album called A house. Florent calls me and said to me: “The album is almost finished. Do you think tomorrow, can you have a song?”
“This is the first effort I made to get closer to France in a certain way.”
I knew his music a little and it is a song that came out at once and that bound us friendship. This song is of capital importance.
