CD Review: Willy Chirino - Cubanisimo

Willy Chirino's new album Cubanisimo is another in a long line of smooth salsa albums that celebrate Cuban music and the influences that have been the hallmark of the Miami sound. This album is a little different, a homage to his homeland of Cuba, and a plea for its liberation. But whatever your politics, the salsa is just as good and the emotion is heartfelt and, at times, touching.

For the last 35 years, Cuban born Willy Chirino has been making the music of his homeland with a rhythmic, sensual salsa sound that won him the 2006 Grammy for his Son del Alma in the Best Salsa/Merengue Album category. A Florida native since his family fled Cuba in the 1960s, Chirino is still making the music called the "Miami-sound", and we're all the winners when listening to the sexy, sensual salsa Chirino brings to his audience.

Cubanisimo is a little different from his other albums in that all of the tracks are in some way advocating a free Cuba from his "Cuba Libre", a duet with Celia Cruz that is full of double entendres celebrating both the beverage and the hopes for his homeland, to the moving and evocative "Viva La Libertad", part salsa, part Afro-Cuban riffs, and all Cuban.

"Guayabitas Del Pinas", with Nestor Torres is a pleasure and there's a great duet with Albita Rodriguez, "Soy Guajiro", a guijiro being someone from the Cuban countryside.

The companion DVD contains 4 video clips. "El Diablo LLego a La Habana" is an interesting mix of animation and Chirino ala Roger Rabbit. The video of "Cuba Libre" has interesting graphics and both it and "La Jinetera" are filmed against great shots of Havana and its residents.

The final clip, "Nuestro Dia Ya Viene Llegando" is from a concert he performed in Panama in 1994. While Chirino wears an "Adios Fidel" hat, the audience is incredible with singing, tears and flag waving sure to move the most hardened of sceptics.