Willy Chirino Celebrates Half-Century Spanning Music Career with Release of “Sigo Pa’lante”

Willy Chirino is celebrating his 50-year music career with new music.

The 75-year-old Cuban singer-songwriter behind salsa classics like “Medias Negras” and “Pobre Diabla” has released Sigo Pa’lante, his first studio album in more than a decade.

Willy ChirinoWith reggaetón becoming more and more popular, Chirino was taking his time to study the landscape before releasing the album in December. 

“There was a transition in music after my last album that was very dramatic,” he explains to Billboard Español about his hiatus. But the 50th anniversary, with all the fanfare and the news surrounding it, was the perfect occasion to release the album he’d been working on for the past three years.

Chirino wasn’t hibernating — in recent years he’d released an album of traditional Latin American songs with his wife Lissette (Amarraditos), two Christmas albums (Llegó la Navidad and Willy & Lissette Navidad En Familia) and other covers sets (My Favorites and My Beatles Heart) — Sigo Pa’lante is his first project of new music since 2008’s Pa’lante.

Composed of 12 tracks, it opens with the joyous “Imagínate” and includes collaborations with Gilberto Santa Rosa (on the first single “La Música”), Leoni Torres (“Para Mi Viejo”), El Chacal (the album’s title track), Lissette (“Mi Corazón Es Un Pueblo”) and his daughter Jesse (“Agua De Marzo,” a cover of the Brazilian classic “Aguas De Marzo” by Antonio Carlos Jobim).

It closes with an anthem of freedom for Cuba, “Que Se Vaya Ya,” a song as energetic as it is emotional, released in September 2021 with contributions from Lenier, Micha, Chacal, Osmani García and Srta. Dayana.

“Let them take all the bad things/ Let them go, let them go/ We can’t take the beatings anymore/ Let them leave now/ Because the people suffer and keep quiet/ Let them go, let them go/ Let them take the shrapnel/ Let them go now ”, they sing in Spanish.

Chirino, in fact, dedicates Sigo Pa’lante to his fans in Cuba, where he says that people continue to listen to his songs “despite all the mishaps they have suffered to do so.”

“They’ve paid a price that is not monetary, because listening to my music for a long time was totally prohibited,” the artist continues, adding that “when they found them listening, [the authorities] beat them, imprisoned them, took their boomboxes away. In other words, they were mistreated simply for the fact of listening to my music. So that for me has a special recognition”.

Although he clarifies that his songs are not currently banned in his native country, he says that his anti-Castro stance has made him persona non grata, and that his requests to perform in the island have never been answered.

Chirino debuted in 1974 with the album One Man Alone, and has released more than twenty albums since — but his career began earlier, as part of different bands and orchestras. The 50th anniversary dates back to 1972, when he says he began to use his own name when creating music as a solo artist.

On the Billboard charts, he’s scored 13 entries on the Tropical Albums listing, seven of which reached the top 10. He’s also had six entries on the Hot Latin Songs chart, two on Latin Airplay, and two on Top Latin Albums.

Ricardo Arjona to Perform During Upcoming Vegas Latin Summer Beach Fest

Life’s a beach (bash) for Ricardo Arjona.

The 58-year-old Guatemalan singer-songwriter will be among the artists taking part in the first-ever edition of Vegas Latin Summer Beach Fest, presented by 360 Worldwide Entertainment.

Ricardo ArjonaThe festival will offer a “one-of-a-kind” experience in Las Vegas throughout the spring and summer, according to the company

The concept, dubbed the “Caribbean Edition,” is a concert series composed of 11 shows: nine three-day beach festivals at the Mandalay Bay Beach, and two concerts at the T-Mobile Arena.

“As the company that established the Latin music festival format, we are proud to innovate the live music experience once again,” said Lucas Piña, founder, 360 Worldwide Entertainment. “After an exhausting pandemic, we are again the first to advocate and support our Latin culture in general, providing the city of Las Vegas with a truly enriching cultural experience for its community and tourism,” added the former SBS Entertainment executive who helped conceptualize the company’s marquee events such as Calibash and Miamibash.

The Vegas Latin Summer Beach Fest: Caribbean Edition will “transport you to the beautiful islands of the Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico through an impressive cultural display,” according to a press release.

The weekend-long festivals at the Mandalay Bay will kick off with Havana Nights (April 15-17) — headlined by YotuelJacob Forever and Osmani García — followed by Dominican Republic Carnaval Nights (May 20-22) and Noches de San Juan (June 17-19).

Artists set to perform at Carnaval and Noches de San Juan will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The two concerts at the T-Mobile Arena include Arjona — who’ll make a stop there as part of his Blanco y Negro Tour on April 23 — and the July 16 show that will wrap up the series which will “feature 21 artists and special guests.”

“We have been working tirelessly for a long time on this concept, and the vision of offering something different, far from scaring us, invigorates us,” said Camilo Gonzalez, 360 Worldwide Entertainment’s president. “Back in 2007, when the industry said it was impossible to create a rotating stage, Lucas Piña challenged them. Now, we are returning the focus to Latin music genres that also deserve recognition, such as salsa, merengue, bachata, and urban music.”

For more info on the concert series visit www.vlsfest.com.

Willy Chirino Recruits Fellow Cuban Artists to Release New Version of Cuban Protest Single “Que Se Vayan Ya”

Willy Chirino is expressing his solidarity with the people of Cuba through music…

The 74-year-old Cuban musician has released a new version of his single “Que Se Vayan Ya,” 13 years after its original release.

Willy Chirino, Que Se Vayan Ya

The award-winning salsa artist recruited Cuban artists Lenier, El MichaChacalOsmani Garcia, and Srta. Dayana to show solidarity with the Cuban community through the powerful protest anthem and its continuous chant for “Viva Cuba, libre!”

“Que Se Vayan Ya,” which appeared on Chirino’s 2008 album Pa’ Lante, was co-produced by Chirino, Nelson Albareda, Nelson Martínez, Lenier, and Mauro Bertrán, giving this extended version a Cubaton twist while keeping its tropical essence.

“It is our duty as citizens of the world to support the movement that arose on the island to achieve Cuba’s freedom,” Albareda, producer and CEO of Loud and Live, said in a statement. “What better way to do it than with a new anthem that inspires those brave people on the island to continue with this fight? With that objective in mind, I turned to Willy, with whom I’ve been friends with and shared projects for many years, to make this musical production with other notable artists in a cry for freedom.”

“Que Se Vayan Ya” comes almost two months after the social unrest in the island due to the power outages, and food and medicine shortages as COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

The July rallies, which ended with several arrests, were in part set off by Cuba’s deteriorating economic situation that was intensified by the pandemic that’s cut off tourism dollars and has left people unable to work because of the COVID-imposed lockdown.

“The events of July 11 have given us hope that the end of this totalitarian regime is coming,” Chirino added. “It’s important that this flame is not extinguished and that the whole world becomes aware of the crimes that are committed daily on ‘Prison Island.’ United for this purpose, we are raising our voices to demand once and for all that they [the government] leave!”

Martin to Perform at First-Ever Calibash Las Vegas

Ricky Martin is ready to kick some Bash

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actor is set to perform at a special edition of Calibash in Las Vegas at the Hakkasan night club.

Ricky Martin

Calibash, the multi-artist show that’s become the signature event for urban Latin music in the U.S., will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the special edition in Sin City.

Ride like a rock star in one of our party bus of limousine rentals as we can take you right up to the front door without a single worry about traffic or parking. Whether it is a smaller venue or you are headed to The Palace at Auburn Hills or The Fillmore Detroit for a big show, you can check out Rockstarz Limousine is there for you.

Calibash Las Vegas will take place on January 26 at the T-Mobile Arena and will feature performances by Martin, Don OmarWisinNicky Jam and Residente.

The huge span of acts highlights just how diverse the genre has become. On the one hand is reggaeton icon Don Omar, who this year celebrated the 10th anniversary of his seminal album King of Kings; Residente, formerly of Calle 13, who espouses an alternative approach to rap with socially-minded lyrics; current chart-toppers Wisin and Nicky Jam, and pop act Ricky Martin, who most recently reached the top of the charts with “Vente Pa’Ca,” his collaboration with Maluma.

Other confirmed acts to date include Zion & Lennox, Pipe BuenoFarruko, J AlvarezPlan B, Nely “El Arma Secreta”, OsunaDe la Ghetto, AlmightlyArcangel, Gente de Zona, ChacalOsmani Garcia, Divan and CNCO.

Calibash will once again be produced by SBS Entertainment and presented by LaMusica. This marks the first time the show will take place in Vegas, and will also be the first time a multi-artist concert will take place at the T-Mobile Arena, also the site of this year’s Latin Grammys. If you are finding for the wedding DJ then Wedding DJ Auckland is a best option for your wedding function.

“This is without doubt, a strong start to the future of Latin Entertainment in Las Vegas,” says Lucas Piña, SVP of SBS Entertainment.  “It is a challenge, but we are confident with the quality performers that we will produce a successful January sold-out event, as we have done in New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities.”

Recent editions of the fest have also included major mainstream acts.