The Miami-based Cuban artist appears in a national campaign with Karat while her debut solo album, Rojo, surpasses 500,000 Spotify streams less than two weeks after release.
MIAMI, FL — For internationally acclaimed Cuban classical guitarist Laura Mazon Franqui, seeing herself on a towering digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square was more than a career milestone — it was a powerful reminder of how far music, culture, and perseverance can travel.
Mazon Franqui was featured in a national campaign in Times Square through a collaboration with Karat, a financial platform designed for creators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. The campaign showcased the artist performing guitar while introducing audiences to her newly released debut solo album, Rojo, which appeared at the conclusion of the advertisement alongside a call-to-action directing viewers to stream the album across major digital platforms.
For Laura, a Cuban-born musician whose artistic mission has long centered on elevating Hispanic and Latin American classical repertoire, the moment carried significance beyond personal recognition.
“Growing up in Cuba, I never imagined that one day I would see classical guitar represented in Times Square,” said Mazon Franqui. “This moment is about much more than me. It is about the music that shaped me, the culture I come from, and the people who believed in me before any of this seemed possible. To see Latin American classical music occupy a space seen by millions of people from around the world is both humbling and deeply meaningful.”
The billboard appearance arrives during a period of extraordinary momentum for the artist. Less than two weeks after its release, her debut album Rojo has surpassed 500,000 streams on Spotify, an uncommon achievement within the classical music landscape.
Released by the boutique classical label Prima Classic, Rojo is a deeply personal recording that explores Hispanic and Latin American guitar repertoire through works by Leo Brouwer, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Francisco Tárrega, Joaquín Turina, Jorge Morel, Carlos Rafael Rivera, and Grammy Award-winning composer Claudia Montero. More than a collection of performances, the album serves as a musical memoir — an exploration of memory, resilience, identity, love, and the people whose influence shaped the artist’s journey.
Named after Claudia Montero’s work Rojo, the album embraces the symbolism of the color red: passion, strength, vitality, and transformation. It is both a tribute to Mazon Franqui’s cultural roots and a celebration of the emotional power of music to preserve memory and tell stories across generations.
Widely recognized as one of the leading Cuban and Latin American classical guitarists of her generation, Mazon Franqui has performed internationally throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Cuba. Her work as a performer, educator, recording artist, and advocate has earned recognition from leading institutions and audiences alike, while her growing digital presence has helped introduce classical guitar to new generations of listeners around the world.
The Times Square campaign was developed in partnership with Karat, a financial company dedicated to supporting creators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners through financial tools tailored to the realities of the modern creator economy. By helping creators build sustainable businesses around their work, Karat empowers artists and innovators to focus on what they do best: creating.
For Mazon Franqui, the partnership reflects a broader shift occurring within the arts.
“Classical musicians today are not only performers — we are educators, entrepreneurs, creators, and storytellers,” she said. “I’m grateful to be part of a generation that is finding new ways to connect with audiences and bring classical music into spaces where people may not expect to encounter it.”
As images of the campaign continue to circulate online and Rojo reaches listeners across the globe, the Times Square appearance stands as a symbolic milestone in a journey that began years ago in Cuba with a guitar, a dream, and a belief that music has the power to transcend borders.
About Laura Mazon Franqui
Laura Mazon Franqui is an internationally acclaimed Cuban classical guitarist, recording artist, educator, and advocate for arts education and women’s empowerment. Praised for her expressive artistry and technical mastery, she has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Cuba. She is an Augustine Artist, Cordoba Guitars Artist, scholarship recipient of Guitar Salon International, and recording artist with Prima Classic. Through her performances, recordings, educational work, and digital presence, she continues to champion Latin American culture and expand the reach of classical guitar for contemporary audiences.
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