By Robert C. Díaz, from London
Willy, Thumbs up, again!!

There’s something else about the great Cuban nightingale salsa singer, Willy Chirino. But, honestly I don’t know what it’s like. He’s gorgeous, talented, multi-functional, and proudly Cuban, from the spikes to the cap. Every time that I watch him singing and dancing on the stage, or simply playing in my car as a true daily company, I find out different tunes and melodies on it. But don't ask me why.

I've already lost the account of how many times this music has helped me to refresh most of these "blurred" awakenings in my daily life. Definitively, it could take me to blow the same classic line that Rick, with cigarette among the lips, said in "Casablanca": Plays it, again, Sam. But, in my case, without Bogart's hat, neither his stylized cigarette smoke, whenever I hear this music, I only hit upon to say myself: Wow! how’s nice the rhythm, Willy!.

Actually, no matter who and where you are or even what kind of label has been stick on you, if you are in or out of Cuba, defending whatever political tendency which has been flying around the complex and unpredictable Cuban panorama, along of this half last century. Once that you listen his music, you can’t stop it, until start moving your feet and body, fully engaged with this “magical three plus two step-rhythm” . This magical math is something that Willy’s music has perfectly portrayed from the Cuban everyday life. In fact, this is the way like Cubans usually call to its real traditional music. It’s also popularly called as “son”, what in fact, is the pure and original musical root of “salsa”, this famous and commercial label, well-known through the Latin minority based in New York.

With more than 30 years on his professional musical career and more than 30 albums and plenty Academy Musical Awards achieved, Willy Chirino has opened the cellophane in this 2005 with a fantastic new 13 tracks album, coherently titled: Son del Alma (Soul’s Son). This time, this multi-instrumentalist (drummer, bassist, guitarist and pianist) has back again following the fusion road, with so impress Cuban “descarga”, in which has inserted different elements of Latin variant, such as: Colombian’s Cumbia and Ballenato, Dominican’s Bachata and Merengue, some reminiscences of Andino folklore and Brazilian samba, integrated as a modern version of “melting pot” of Cuban traditional son.

Rompecabezas (Puzzle) is the first cut of this album, and it’s a traditional son-montuno with a powerful brass arrange, combine with a syncopated counterpoint of Cuban percussion set, played in its most typical Charanga’s style. Both, Solo por amor (Only for Love) and Dicen que la vieron sola (She was alone) exhibit a romantic and poetic lyricism in which has been added a nicely trombone bank, perfectly adapted to the dynamic cadency of any dancer. Todo pasa (Everything goes by) and Hielo (Ice) are a pair of metaphor of illusions in which you feel so close to the flamenco fresh-touch with a traditional and appassionato Son montuno, easily to dance into an endless night .Hechizo de luna (Moon charm) and Porque te quiero (Because, I love you) remind us some influences from another great Cuban musician, Donato Poveda and his pass through cumbia-son fusion. Also, it’s been an honor that Willy has had a remarkable contribution from Luis J. Marquez (on trumpet) and a virtuoso Amed Barroso (on guitar’s solos). In Unidos (United) again appears a notable fusion between Son and Flamenco, undressing a personal motive of beautiful images seen through the lyric and a tender accompaniment made by a Charango Andino (small guitar from Los Andes).

Veneno (Poison), Bella (Beauty) and Te lo dire al oído (I’ll tell it to you to the hearing) are three smash hits of the album, in which are remind a fine tune of Dominican bachata, at so close Juan Luis Guerra style, a bolero-son with a montuno bridge pretty close to the Cuban Van Van Orchestra. The album close with El Diablo llegó a La Habana (The Devil came over to Havana), a fantastic and funny son-rap parody in which reflects a tricky story about a famous Cuban “tresero” (musician) dealing with The Devil. Once again, amen the clear social message of the lyric, this song exhibits a notorious “tres” solo played by Amed Barroso.

Finally, this super-album already has been on sale, and curiously, it also has became in a very tender and demanding gift at St. Valentine’s Day, especially within the lovers of Latin music sector. Right now, it’s available in Tower Record, HVM, and in every music mega stores around Europe and States. Also, we take this opportunity to let you know that Willy Chirino worldwide tour-2005 is coming pretty soon, starting at the end of this month, in which have been included European musical Mecca-cities, such as: Milan, Paris, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Dublin and Madrid. So don't miss the opportunity to see in the scene, this 300 % Cuban stuff, tinged through a real heavy-weight Cuban sonero as Willy Chirino and his Son del Alma, his last musical project . So, Thumbs up again, Willy!!! And we'll see you in the concert.

Above: Cuban musician Willy Chirino and Robert C. Diaz in Willy’s house at Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, during a filming section of In and Out documentary.