Willie Colón

Willie Colón

This article is about the Nuyorican musician; for the football player, see Willie Colon (American football)

William Anthony Colón (born 28 April 1950) is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.

early year

Willie Colón was born in the South Bronx, New York, to Nuyorican parents. He picked up the trumpet from a young age, and later switched to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and Barry Rogers. He spent some summers at his maternal grandmother's sisters's (La finca de Celín y Ramón farm in in the outskirts of Manatí, Puerto Rico on the road to neighboring Ciales, Puerto Rico.

He was signed to Fania Records at 15 and recorded his first album at age 17, which ultimately sold more than 300,000 copies. Due to fortuitous events, the main record producer at Fania at the time, Johnny Pacheco, recommended Héctor Lavoe to him.

Mr. Colón has been a civil rights, community and political activist since the age of 16. He has served as a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the United Nations Immigrant Foundation, President of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York, member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 1995, Mr. Colón became the first minority to serve on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) national board and is now a member of the ASCAP FOUNDATION.

Musical accomplishments

Beyond the trombone, he has also worked as a composer, arranger, and singer, and eventually as a producer and director. Combining elements of jazz, rock, and salsa, his work incorporates the rhythms of traditional music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and "that 'other' ancestral homeland, Africa", representing the mostly one-way flow from Puerto Rico to the New York-based diaspora. "His life and music commute back and forth between his home turf in the Bronx and his ancestral Puerto Rico, with more than casual stop-offs in other musical zones of the Caribbean." Colón "makes the relation between diaspora and Caribbean homeland the central theme of his work," particularly in his 1971 Christmas album, Asalto navideño. The lyrics and music of the songs on this album "enact the diaspora addressing the island culture in a complex, loving but at the same time mildly challenging way."

He went on to have many successful collaborations with salsa musicians and singers such as Ismael Miranda, Celia Cruz and Soledad Bravo, and singer-songwriter Rubén Blades. On his website, Colón claims to hold the "all time record for sales in the Salsa genre, [having] created 40 productions that have sold more than thirty million records worldwide."

Musical themes

One significant overarching theme in Colón's music, which draws from many cultures and several different styles, is an exploration of the competing associations that Puerto Ricans have with their home and with the United States. Colón uses his songs to depict and investigate the problems of living in the U.S. as a Puerto Rican, and also to imply the cultural contributions that Puerto Ricans have to offer.

Recent accomplishments

In 2001, Willie Colón ran for Public Advocate of the City of New York, garnering a respectable 101,393 votes. More votes than many other citywide candidates.

In September 2004, Colón received the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with notable musicians such as the Fania All Stars, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, David Byrne, and Celia Cruz. Siembra, his record with Rubén Blades, was the best selling album for its genre.

Colón has served as the chair of the Association of Hispanic Arts.

In addition to serving as a visiting professor and receiving honorary degrees for music and humane letters at various universities, in 1991, Colón received Yale University’s Chubb Fellowship.

In 2006, Willie Colón is portrayed by actor John Ortizagainst Marc Anthony's Hector LaVoe in the movie El Cantante starring Jennifer Lopez. The movie is about the late great Hector LaVoe and it covers their early career as the top Salsa Duo from the 60s through the mid 70s.

Colón currently serves as NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s representative advisor & liaison to the Latin Media Entertainment Commission (to which Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Lopez serve as the celebrity chairs). Willie's base of operations, ELMALO,Inc. Creative Services is in New Rochelle, New York.

On April 16, 2008, Colón announced his endorsement of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton in her 2008 presidential campaign

Colón has also recently released two new singles, in promotion for his new album El Malo Vol II: Prisioneros del Mambo, "Amor de Internet" and "Corazón Partido."

Discography

• El Malo (1967)
• The Hustler (1968)
• Guisando Doing a Job (1969)
• Cosa Nuestra (1970)
• Asalto Navideño (1971)
• La Gran Fuga The Big Break (1971)
• El Juicio (1972)
• Asalto Navideño Vol.2 (1972)
• Lo Mato (1973)
• Crime Pays (1973)
• Willie (1974)
• Se Chavó el Vecindario! There Goes the Neighborhood (1975)
• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (1976)
• El Baquine de Angelitos Negros (1977)
• Metiendo Mano!! (1977)
• Sólo Ellos Pudieron Hacer Éste Álbum Only They Could Have Made This Album (1977)
• 47 MINUTES (1978)
• Siembra (1978)
• Solo (1979)
• Doble Energía (1980)
• Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos (1981)
• Celia & Willie (1981)
• Fantasmas (1981)
• Corazón Guerrero (1982)
• The Last Fight (1982)
• Vigilante (1983)
• Criollo (1983)
• Tiempo pa' Matar (1984)
• Contrabando Especial N°5 (1985)
• Los Triunfadores The Winners (1987)
• Top Secrets/Legal Alien (1989)
• Color Americano (1990)
• Honra y Cultura (1991)
• Willie Colón & Tito Puente (1993)
• Bad boys 2 (1994)
• Hecho en Puerto Rico (1993)
• The Best Vol. 2 (1994)
• Tras la Tormenta (1995)
• Y Vuelve Otra Vez!!! (1995)
• Demasiado Corazón (1998)
• Quien Eres (1999)
• Idilio (2000)
• Guerrero de Corazón (2000)
• Experiencia (2004)
• The Player (2007)
• El Malo Vol II:Prisioneros del Mambo (2008)
• Asalto Navideño Live/En Vivo (2008)

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• Salsa music

External links

• Willie Colón's website
• NewMusicBox cover: Willie Colón in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, January 28, 2009 (includes video)