“Mr Worldwide” is one of the monikers of famed Latin Hip-Hop artist Pitbull. The nickname has become a bit of an internet meme to ironically describe someone or something that isn’t very worldly or cosmopolitan, however, today’s artist would certainly deserve being called that in a completely unironic fashion.
Born to an Egyptian father and an American mother of Czech descent, Moonlight Jones and his eclectic fusion of R&B, Soul, and Latin Rock certainly come off as a product of a very ample cultural diet informing a hungry mind seeking to turn a thousand influences into the cohesive fuel of its creative endeavours. Jones is a globetrotter, singer, songwriter and self-taught master guitarist who, working alongside acclaimed recording artist and producer Nino Valentino, would go on to create a brand new musical flavour which they’ve dubbed “Cosmic Soul”.
Moonlight Jones’ “Cosmic Soul” project is in its infancy still, as “Whatcha Doin To Me” would be just the second single released by him, giving every one of us a wonderful opportunity to “get in on the ground floor” of this nascent new style, as it were. And though he’s still relatively unknown, Jones’ first single was met with warm -if not outright hot- reception among audiences as well as the press, with many accurately highlighting the Santana-Esque brushstrokes that he adorns his terrific work with.
Going back to my mentioning of artist Pitbull, Moonlight Jones’ newest track has a fantastic visual directed by none other than David Rousseau, who has worked with Pitbull among many others in the past. The music video follows Jones during a fateful train ride set in France in the mid-50s, as he comes across and eventually serenades and seduces a gorgeous gal. The song was written by Jones with the help of producer Nino Valentino and collaborator Doug Emery.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Moonlight Jones is proudly based out of the City of Miami, something that is beautifully reflected in the very heavily Latin-inspired sound of his “Cosmic Soul” proposal. However, and much to his “worldly” credit, well before settling down in Florida, Moonlight lived and studied for a time in Spain, where his love of the Native flamenco guitar sound nourished his musical passion. Later trips to Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Colombia served to widen his palate and his love for the exciting and colourful world of Hispanophone music.
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