The final solo performance of Raul Malo has been preserved for fans around the world with the release of BELLA CIAO: Raul Malo Live In Nashville, a heartfelt posthumous live album that captures one last unforgettable evening from one of American music’s most distinctive voices.
Now available on all major streaming platforms through Mono Mundo and Thirty Tigers, the album documents Malo’s June 14, 2025, performance at Nashville’s legendary 3rd & Lindsley. Physical 2-LP and 2-CD editions are scheduled for release this fall.
The Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award-winning artist—praised by NPR as possessing “one of the greatest voices, period in American music”—delivers a deeply personal performance that feels less like a concert and more like an intimate conversation with the audience.
The live recording takes on even greater significance following Malo’s passing, serving as both a celebration of his artistry and a lasting tribute to a career that bridged cultures, languages, and musical traditions.
Malo’s impact also extended into the Tejano music community. At the 41st Tejano Music Awards in 2021, Raul Malo and The Mavericks earned Collaboration of the Year for “No Vale La Pena,” a standout track from his acclaimed Spanish-language project En Español featuring legendary accordionist Flaco Jiménez. The honor underscored Malo’s lifelong commitment to preserving and celebrating multilingual American music while bridging the worlds of country, Tejano, Latin, and Americana through his artistry.
Accompanying Malo on stage for the live recording was his son, Dino Malo, on drums and percussion, alongside longtime Mavericks saxophonist Max Abrams and Cuban violinist Lazaro Manzano. The performance also reflected Raul Malo’s lifelong commitment to mentoring young musicians. Manzano is among several emerging Cuban artists the Malo family helped bring to Nashville to further their careers, a journey that eventually led to his acceptance into the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
“My father and I spent the last 10 years creating together profoundly, and specifically since Covid, we became even more bonded creatively,” Dino Malo shared. “While we both immensely enjoyed the full band, rocking shows, the more intimate, solo shows were our true favorites. We would play our favorite songs, some were his, and some were by others. They were a conversation.”
He added that watching his father perform those stripped-down shows became “a master class in musical restraint.”
“While we did not know this would be the last show, I take great solace in knowing that it was. We had an incredible band with us that evening in Max Abrams and Lazaro Manzano, who added so many beautiful colors. While this may be the last show, this is certainly not the last of my father’s music you have heard.”
The 13-song collection showcases the remarkable musical diversity that defined Malo’s career, blending his own compositions with beloved classics performed in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. The set seamlessly moves through country, boleros, folk, pop standards, and Latin influences that reflected both his Cuban heritage and his Nashville home.
Fans first received a preview of the project with the advance release of Malo’s rendition of “Forever and Ever,” originally made famous by Greek singer-songwriter Demis Roussos. With the arrival of the complete album, attention now turns to the concert’s emotional finale, “Summer Wind,” the timeless Frank Sinatra classic that Malo frequently cited as one of his favorite songs by one of his greatest musical influences. A full performance video is also expected in the near future.
The album’s title track, “Come Unto Me / Bella Ciao,” along with heartfelt performances of “Harvest Moon,” “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” “La Vie En Rose,” and “De Ti Me Olvidaré,” illustrates Malo’s unmatched ability to connect audiences across generations and genres.
In a message accompanying the release, the Malo family thanked fans for decades of unwavering support.
“The Malo Family would like to thank all of Raul’s fans for the years of love, support, and devotion you shared with him,” the statement reads. “There was no place he would rather have been than on stage, singing for you.”
The family also expressed gratitude to relatives and friends who helped care for Malo throughout his health journey, saying their “kindness, compassion, and unwavering support meant more than words can express.”
For longtime fans, BELLA CIAO: Raul Malo Live In Nashville offers more than a live album—it is a beautiful farewell from an artist whose voice transcended borders and whose songs continue to unite listeners one melody at a time.
BELLA CIAO: Raul Malo Live In Nashville Track List
- Nosotros / Summertime (When I’m With You)
- Forever and Ever
- Ramblin’ Rose
- Here Comes the Rain
- Harvest Moon
- Every Little Thing About You
- La Vie En Rose
- Guitar and a Bottle of Wine
- Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
- De Ti Me Olvidaré
- The Years Will Not Be Kind
- Come Unto Me / Bella Ciao
- Summer Wind
Raul Malo · Bella Ciao: Live in Nashville
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