From the Washington Post to Telemundo’s Acceso Total to People En Español, it was an honor and a privilege to handle press relations for our client HistoryMiami Museum and its inaugural launch of “Willy Chirino: 50 Years of Music.”
This powerful exhibit, at the Smithsonian-affiliated museum, pays tribute to the five-decades-long musical career of Miami’s music icon with a collection of never-before-seen personal items from his first guitar to handwritten lyrics and a Cuban flag signed in 1994 by detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
Our media team, including Senior Vice President of Public Relations Lisa Mozloom and Communications Specialist Lauren Rigau, were all hands on deck, collaborating with HistoryMiami Museum on press day to ensure dozens of local, national, and international media outlets had what they needed to make this exhibit a success.
A favorite part of press day was the adrenaline rush of ensuring media partners had all the assets they needed to make a great story come to life. “There is nothing like a seven-hour bilingual press junket to get me feeling like I’m back in a newsroom!” said Rigau.
“To see his Guantanamo Bay concert, as tears stream down the faces of detainees, is to begin to get a glimpse of how his music was a connection to the freedom that so many Cubans sought. His humbling story gives great depth and focus to the work we were able to do for Willy and his team. I’m more than proud of the result we were able to garner for the museum, Willy and their entire team,” said Mozloom.
Following the communist Cuban Revolution in 1961, the Cuban-born artist was exiled to the United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan. Chirino is best known by refugees across the globe for composing and singing the song that would become an international anthem for freedom seekers inside and outside the island, “Nuestro día ya viene llegando” (“Our Day is Coming“).
“I am truly overwhelmed by the events that have been organized to celebrate my 50 years in the music industry, but none is more special to me than this exhibit at the HistoryMiami Museum, an institution that highlights Miami stories,” said the award-winning artist, Willy Chirino.
Chirino’s accomplishments are vast; not only has he been recognized by UNICEF, but he received the U.S. Department of State’s Hispanic Heritage Award. Chirino composed hundreds of songs alongside artists like Celia Cruz, Gipsy Kings, and Oscar D’Leon and recorded more than 35 albums, which have attained platinum and gold status, in addition to winning GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY awards.
Willy Chirino: 50 Years of Music will run from January 27 – September 10, 2023. This homage to his life story showcases a unique collection of memorabilia open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday and is FREE throughout February. Parking is available at the Miami-Dade Cultural Center Garage at 50 NW 2nd Avenue.