by Rosie G.
Back in the day in New York City, there were some amazing dance clubs and one of them was the legendary Palladium. It was located at 14th Street between Irving Place and 3rd Ave. I spent many weekends there dancing at a time when New York City was the entertainment capitol of the world.
Many years ago some friends and I went to our usual hang out, The Palladium, where there was a huge crowd outside. We didn’t know what was going on. At first I thought there must be some big celebrity goininto the Michael Todd room. At the Palladium there were always two events going on, one in the main room and one in the private area upstairs called
The Michael Todd Room. When we finally entered I found out all the brouhaha was about Willie Colon and his orchestra. I was so excited since I am such a big fan of Salsa music. There, standing on stage before me was this petite man looking in total command of his band and the audience. He played hit after hit and I couldn’t stop dancing.
During an intermission, I was able to go backstage and meet Willie and ask him a few questions. Our introduction started off with a joke, don’t ask me to recall it now because I can’t remember but we did laugh for a few. It was my way of breaking the ice since I admit I was nervous about talking to a legend. I asked him where in Puerto Rico he was from, he laughed and said “by way of the Bronx.” He was born and bred in the Boogie Down Bronx.
Willie started out as a trumpet player before picking up the trombone. Unlike some of his well-known colleagues, he didn’t attend Julliard. He was signed to his first record contract with Fania Records at 15 years old recorded his first album at 17. His collaborations with Ruben Blades and especially with Hector Lavoe are legendary. I asked him about that and he laughed and said “those were crazy times especially when hanging with Hector, who always brought the party with him.” He credits his grandmother for instilling in him pride about his Puerto Rican heritage and told me to be proud of my rich heritage. I told him that my father instilled pride in me about our culture. He said to always carry it within my heart.
Today, Willie Colon is, believe it or not, part of Mayor Bloomberg’s administration. He is the Representative Advisor and Liaison for the Latin Media Entertainment Commission. He recently ran for public advocate but did not win the seat. Willie is very much involved in our Latin Community and is always speaking out and fighting for our rights as Latinos. This multi Grammy winner is one artist that could one day be mayor of our city. Hey you never know!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnDqw8FU7Fk]
For more information on Willie Colón visit:
Willie Colón’s Official Site
______________________________________________________________
To learn more about Rosie,
visit the About Us section.
______________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
About Being Latino Contributors
That must have been amazing!!