Willy Chirino
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Willy Chirino (born April 5, 1947, in
Consolación del Sur Consolación del Sur is a municipality and town in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. Also called the ''Athens of Vueltabajo'', it was founded in 1690. Geography It is located in a major rice-growing area; tobacco is also cultivated as in muc ...
,
Pinar del Río Pinar del Río is the capital city of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. With a population of 139,336 (2004) in a municipality of 190,332, it is the List of cities in Cuba, 10th-largest city in Cuba. Inhabitants of the area are called ''Pinareños'' ...
,
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
) is a Cuban-American musician.


Early life

Following the communist revolution in Cuba, Chirino came to the United States in 1960 as part of
Operation Peter Pan Operation Peter Pan (or Operación Pedro Pan) was a clandestine exodus of over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban minors ages 6 to 18 to the United States over a two-year span from 1960 to 1962. They were sent after parents feared that Fidel Castro and ...
, designed to save children who were being abducted by the new communist regime. This U.S. government-sponsored program, in conjunction with the Catholic Welfare Bureau, provided refuge to approximately 14,000 Cuban children who were cared for in U.S. foster homes until their parents could flee Cuba and arrive in the U.S. Chirino later recorded a song, "Nuestro Día Ya Viene Llegando" ("Our Day is Coming"), loosely based on his experiences as a refugee from communism. The song has become something of an anthem for
Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...
exiles everywhere.


Career

Chirino began his artistic career in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, releasing his first album in 1974. Since then, he has recorded over 20 albums, several of which have attained platinum and gold status. In 2006, his album "Son del Alma", won a Grammy for Best Salsa/Merengue Album. As founder of the Willy Chirino Foundation, his philanthropic efforts have been recognized by UNICEF and the Department of State. He celebrated his 35th anniversary in music with his latest released album "Willy Chirino Live-35th Anniversary" ("Willy Chirino En Vivo-35 Aniversario"), a CD/DVD combo of the concert. This album brought him his first nomination for ''Best Salsa Album'' at the 2007
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
. Most recently, Chirino and his wife, singer-songwriter
Lissette Álvarez Lissette Álvarez Chorens, commonly known as Lissette, (born March 10, 1947) is a singer, songwriter, and record producer from Cuba. She is best known for recording a Spanish language-version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 19 ...
, released their first album together, ''Amarraditos'' (Bound to One Another). The CD includes a potpourri of classic Spanish-language love songs. Chirino's album, "Pa'lante", was released at spring 2008, after which he launched a world tour. In 2011, when asked of how his recordings of My Beatles Heart, he said that Sony scrutinized every single one of his songs and their versions because they consider the songs by The Beatles as one of their most precious treasures, and wanted to make sure they were being used in a rightful manner. In 2014, Chirino received a
Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is an honor presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend performers "who have made contributions of outstanding artistic ...
in Las Vegas for his music career.


Personal life

His first marriage to Olga Maria Rodriguez and bore three daughters: Angie, Olga Maria and Jessica. He later married
Lissette Álvarez Lissette Álvarez Chorens, commonly known as Lissette, (born March 10, 1947) is a singer, songwriter, and record producer from Cuba. She is best known for recording a Spanish language-version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 19 ...
and had three more children: Nicolle, Alana, and Gianfranco. He has three grandchildren, Elis Regina, Andres and Dashiel. He and his wife support the Cuban dissident movement,
Yo No Coopero Con La Dictadura ( en, I Do Not Cooperate with the Dictatorship) is a civil disobedience campaign by Cuban democracy activists. The campaign was launched by political prisoners Jorge Luis García Pérez and Jose Daniel Ferrer in 2005. Activists in Cuba carry ...
(I Don't Cooperate with the Dictatorship).


Discography

* 1974: ''One Man Alone'' * 1975: ''Chirino'' * 1976: ''Chirino 3'' * 1977: ''¿Quién Salvó la Ciudad?'' * 1978: ''Evolución'' * 1979: ''Come into My Music'' * 1980: ''Diferente'' * 1981: ''La Salsa y Yo'' * 1982: ''Chirinísimo'' * 1983: ''Subiendo'' * 1985: ''14 Éxitos'' * 1985: ''Zarabanda'' * 1988: ''Amándote'' * 1989: ''Lo que Está Pa' Ti'' * 1990: ''Acuarela del Caribe'' * 1991: ''Oxígeno'' * 1992: ''Un Tipo Típico y Sus Éxitos'' * 1992: ''Mis Primeros Éxitos'' * 1993: ''South Beach'' * 1994: ''Oro Salsero: 20 Éxitos'' * 1994: ''Brillantes'' * 1995: ''Asere'' * 1996: ''Antología Tropical'' * 1997: ''Baila Conmigo'' * 1997: ''Oro Salsero: 10 Éxitos Vol. 1'' * 1998: ''Oro Salsero: 10 Éxitos Vol. 2'' * 1998: ''Cuba Libre'' * 1999: ''20th Anniversary'' * 2000: ''Greatest Hits'' * 2000: ''Soy'' * 2001: ''Afro-Disiac'' * 2002: ''15 Éxitos'' * 2003: ''Serie Azul Tropical'' * 2004: ''Son del Alma'' * 2005: ''Cubanísimo'' * 2005: ''20 Éxitos Originales'' * 2006: ''En Vivo: 35° Aniversario'' * 2007: ''Amarraditos'' * 2007: ''Lo Esencial'' * 2007: ''Tesoros de Colección'' * 2008: ''Pa' Lante'' * 2008: ''Grandes Éxitos en Vivo'' * 2011: ''My Beatles Heart'' * 2011: ''Mis Favoritas'' * 2012: ''Llegó la Navidad'' * 2013: ''Soy... I Am: Mis Canciones – My Songs'' * 2014: ''Serie Platino'' * 2018: ''Navidad en Familia''


References


External links


Willy Chirino
at
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chirino, Willy 1947 births Living people People from Consolación del Sur Salsa musicians Cuban male singers American entertainers of Cuban descent Cuban emigrants to the United States Exiles of the Cuban Revolution in the United States Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Latin music record producers Latin music songwriters