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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Willie Colón| image = willietrombone.jpg| caption =| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = William Anthony Colón| alias =| birth_date = birth date and age|1950|4|28| death_date =| origin = Bronx|New York , NY| instrument = Trombone , Trumpet | genre = Salsa music|Salsa | occupation = Musician , Recording artist , Record producer , Political activist | years_active = 1967–present| label =| associated_acts = Héctor Lavoe , Rubén Blades , Mon Rivera , David Byrne (musician)|David Byrne , Celia Cruz and Dajaos (Bayamón)|Da House .| website =| current_members =| past_members =| notable_instruments =: 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 music ian. Primarily a trombone|trombonist , Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City .
Early years
Willie Colón was born in the South Bronx, New York , to Puerto Rican 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 sister’s (La finca de Celín y Ramón) farm in in the outskirts of Manatí, Puerto Rico on the road to neighboring Ciales, Puerto Rico .cite book|url= http://books.google.com/? id=FatJo80g7E4C& pg=PA90& lpg=PA90& dq=willie+colon+manati |title=The Rhythms: Portable Lower East Side |publisher=Books.google.com |date= 1994-09-20|accessdate=2010-05-03|isbn=978-0-8021-3408-0|author1=Hollander, Kurt
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.cite web|author=Izzy Sanabria |url= http://www.salsamagazine.com/index.php? page=14 |title=The Hector LaVoe Story by Izzy Sanabria |publisher=Salsamagazine.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
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 .cite web|url= http://chci.org/ |title=Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute |publisher=Chci.org |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03 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|ASCAP FOUNDATION .cite web|url= http://home2.nyc.gov/html/lmec/html/commissioners/wcolon.shtml |title=LMEC Commissioners – Latin Media and Entertainment Commission |publisher=Home2.nyc.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03cite web|url= http://www.ascap.com/about/board-intro.html |title=ASCAP Board |publisher=Ascap.com |date=2006-04-01 |accessdate=2010-05-03
Musical career
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.cite journal |last=Flores |first=Juan |date=Fall 2004 |title=Creolité in the 'Hood: Diaspora as Source and Challenge |journal=Centro |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=282–293 |url= http://www.centropr.org/documents/journals/JFlores(p.282-293).pdf |format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-18 "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."cite web|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=5WdvhYQv1wI |title=Traigo la Salsa |publisher=YouTube |date=2006-11-26 |accessdate=2010-05-03
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 . http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173138/ 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."cite web|url= http://williecolon.com/English/home.html |title=english section |publisher=WillieColon.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
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,cite journal |last=González |first=Lisa Sánchez |year=1999 |month=April |title=Reclaiming Salsa |journal=Cultural Studies |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=237–250 |doi=10.1080/095023899335266 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 than many other citywide candidates.cite web|url= http://www.gothamgazette.com/searchlight2001/advocate1.html |title=Gotham Gazette |publisher=Gotham Gazette |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
In September 2004, Colón received the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from the Latin Grammy Awards|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 (musician)|David Byrne , and Celia Cruz . http://www.fania.com/artista_detalle.php? id=377 dead link|date=May 2010 Siembra, his record with Rubén Blades, was the best selling album for its genre.cite web|url= http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/23317.10 |title=Descarga.com |publisher=Descarga.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
Colón has served as the chair of the Association of Hispanic Arts .cite web|url= http://latinoarts.org/ |title=Association of Hispanic Arts |publisher=Latinoarts.org |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03cite web|url= http://home2.nyc.gov/html/lmec/html/commissioners/wcolon.shtml |title=Association of Hispanic Arts on NYC GOV Website |publisher=Home2.nyc.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
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 Ortiz to Marc Anthony's Héctor Lavoe in the movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458522/ El Cantante starring Jennifer Lopez . The movie is about the late great Héctor 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 and Entertainment Commission|Latin Media Entertainment Commission cite web|url= http://home2.nyc.gov/html/lmec/html/about/message_willie_colon.shtml |title=LMEC Commissioner Willie Colon |publisher=Home2.nyc.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03 (to which Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Lopez serve as the celebrity chairs). Willie's base of operations, http://www.elmalo.com 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 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008|2008 presidential campaign http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/? id=7128 Willie Colón Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
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 (song)|Corazón Partido ."cite web|url= http://williecolon.com/English/download.html |title=download page |publisher=WillieColon.com |date= |accessdate=2010-05-03
On April 25, 2010, Willie Colón appeared at The National Mall for http://www.earthday.org/climaterally The Earth Day Climate Rally along with Sting (musician)|Sting , John Legend , The Roots , Jimmy Cliff , Passion Pit , Bob Weir , Joss Stone , Robert Randolph , Patrick Stump , Mavis Staples , Booker T , Honor Society and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger .
On October 7, 2011, Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association http://www.whlea.com recognized Willie Colón for his social and community activism and support. President Bill Clinton congratulates Willie Colón and Sherrif George Longworth http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=93E6VupyS04& feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx? id=5885 NewMusicBox cover: Willie Colón in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, January 28, 2009 (includes video)
Persondata | NAME =Colon, Willie | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1950-04-28 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Willie Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Fania Records artists Category:Latin jazz composers Category:Latin jazz singers Category:Latin jazz trombonists Category:People from the Bronx Category:People from New Rochelle, New York Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Puerto Rican musicians Category:Salsa musicians
