Luis Giraldo

If you like Canadian piano-playing jazz crooner Diana Krall, then Luis Giraldo could be your favorite new singer. Also hailing from Canada, Giraldo peddles music similar to that of Krall's -- classic song-inspired melodies coupled with seductive vocals -- romance-inducing music that can melt the heart of even the most die-hard rock fan. His musical resemblance to Krall is so striking that some critics have hailed him the "male version of Diana Krall". "I want my music to evoke a lot of romanticism. That's what I want with my music, something that makes people want to fall in love," Giraldo told The Jakarta Post shortly after his performance for the Java Jazz (JJ) Festival earlier this month. In his gig at JJ, Giraldo was backed by bassist Rick Kilburn and drummer Chris Nordquist, who were also present for an interview in Central Jakarta. Listening to Giraldo's two albums, Daydream and When I Fall in Love, released by Universal Music for a limited market, and seeing him play a live set at JJ, fans will have nothing to disagree with over his claim for a place in the adult-oriented jazz scene. Both his live shows and recorded works are replete with gorgeous piano playing and impressive vocals, reminiscent of nostalgic acts from days of yore, which he believed would easily connect with an Indonesian audience. "People in Indonesia are easily attracted by romantic music and I think of myself as a romantic guy, so I have no problem portraying my music in a way that is interesting to Indonesian people," Giraldo said.

The native of Bogota, Colombia, who relocated to Canada only nine years ago, also held a firm belief that he was in possession of that romantic quality simply from the fact the he was of Latin American origin. Latin music and its purveyors like Shakira, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony have long been associated with romanticism and sexiness. But above anything else, Giraldo wanted his musicianship to take precedence over the image or hype that has been attached to him. "I want my music to be appreciated because it's good in its own right and not due to a large-scale promotion campaign," he said. Little wonder that Giraldo later went on a journey off the beaten track to places spared by the hype-driven music market, where he found that his music was really appreciated. He believed that that type of appreciative audience could be found in Asia. His first jazz album, Daydream, was released by Universal only for the Philippines market. Maybe because Giraldo did not want to be a popular singer he had a brush with mainstream popularity early on. Not so long ago, Giraldo was played keyboards for a band that supported his fellow Colombian Shakira during her world tour. During his stint with the band, Giraldo got an experience of what it felt like to play in front of 60,000 people in a stadium-sized arena. "I'm glad I got hold of stardom and fame in my system very early because now I'm not obsessed about knowing what it's like to be successful. I can focus on being true to what I wanted to do -- making music that means something to me, and bring that to other people," he said. It is all the more surprising, however, to find out that Giraldo was playing for a rock band when he first made his plunge into the music industry. Giraldo's performing and recording career started in Colombia where he released four albums with rock band Poligamia on Sony Music. Even when he was already in Canada, Giraldo was still performing with pop- and rock-oriented performers such as Richard Torrance, Brian Allan, DJ Killers and Marcus Anthony.

He discovered jazz almost by accident: He was given an offer to play jazz as part of a trio on board a cruise ship, an opportunity that required him to rehearse much of the jazz repertoire in a very short time. "That's how I started with jazz: It was jazz that found me; not the other way around," Giraldo said. - M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"This is the best male vocal disc I've received in a very long time. My hat is off to you for the song selection, interpretation and trio format (not a lot of clutter to distract from the voice) I'm delighted with this release..." - (via e-mail)

"Luis Giraldo's debut, Day Dream, is a 50-minute journey through the silky joy of vocal jazz with a Latin Flavour. Colombia's loss is Vancouver's gain..." - allaboutjazz.com

"What a wonderful Eargasmic Experience listening to your sexilicious Day Dream.  You have such a Jassy way aboutcha.  KFAI listeners are in for a sweet treat..." - (via -email)

"Luis Giraldo approaches classic songs with respect and with his outstanding voice.  His style recalls music from another era, and it's great to know that artists like him are keeping this style of music and singing alive." - (via e-mail)

The smooth mellow vocals of easy-listening king Luis Giraldo are embellished by tasteful, intimate jazz; with a sprinkling of Latin standards in the album everyone will enjoy, "Day Dream." An album that will surely soothe the soul and relax the mind, "Day Dream," released by Universal Records, showcases Luis Giraldo's romantically cool crooning..." - Malaya Newspaper - Philippines