Willie Colón

William Anthony Colón (born 28 April 1950) is a Puerto Rican salsa music icon. First and foremost a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in

William Anthony Colón (born 28 April 1950) is a Puerto Rican salsa music icon. First and foremost a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.

Willie Colón was born in the 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 -at least during a specific period in the 1960s- that of Eddie Palmieri. He was bullied in his neighborhood because of this, and had to defend himself quite often from gang members. In a way similar to Bob Marley's, he gained a reputation for being tough and fierce in combat, even if his height could put him in a disadvantage (Willie is 5ft. 6in. -168 cm- tall). He spent some summers at his maternal grandmother's farm in Manati, Puerto Rico, where he claims he learned the discipline and tenacity to thrive on his own, as well as a strong love for Puerto Rico that shaped his later political views (he's a strong supporter of Puerto Rican independence and Latin American political unity, and theoretically a liberal, even if later disappointments with the Democratic Party (United States) of the United States moved him to endorse Republican candidates.