Fans, family and musicians gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday to say goodbye to beloved salsa figure Willie Colón.
Colón was a trombonist, singer, bandleader, composer and producer who helped revolutionize salsa music by combining Afro-Caribbean rhythms with elements of R&B, funk and jazz. His work helped define the sound of New York salsa and bring the genre to international prominence.
Fans from all over the world came to the iconic Midtown Cathedral to attend the funeral mass. Colón’s family said the musician had asked during his lifetime that his services be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Bronx Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat led prayers for Columbus. During the ceremony, he recalled how the artist’s music marked several generations and related that listening to his 1973 song El Día de Mi Suerte was what inspired him to become interested in the trombone when he was a child.
For many attendees, Columbus’ music is part of personal memories and cultural identity, drawing mourners from diverse backgrounds.
After the funeral, hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the cathedral, many with tears in their eyes. As the coffin was carried out, trombonists performed the iconic riff from La Murga, his 1970 hit recorded with long-time collaborator Héctor Lavoe during his time with Fania Records.
Colón was born William Arturo Colón Román, the son of Puerto Rican parents in the South Bronx. Raised largely by his grandmother, he was introduced to Latin music at a young age. In his adolescence he joined the then emerging label Fania Records, which would become the epicenter of the salsa movement in New York.
During a career spanning six decades, Colón created more than 40 albums and sold more than 30 million records worldwide.
The singer died on February 21 at the age of 75 after being hospitalized for respiratory problems at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Bronxville, New York.
“Willie was a boy from the South Bronx who was born with a gift and a hunger to succeed,” said his son Alejandro Colón during his funeral eulogy. “I absorbed the essence of every street I walked down: the smells, the sounds.”
“Everyone knows Willie ‘El Malo’, Willie El Salsero, Willie the composer, even Willie the sheriff, but for us he was dad,” said Diego Colón in his tribute.
Beyond music, Colón also ventured into public life. He served in the administrations of Mayors David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg, and later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1994 and for New York City Public Advocate in 2001.
He also spent part of his career in public safety, serving as a deputy sheriff and later as a deputy lieutenant in the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.
After his death, some salsa fans reflected on the contrast between Colón’s rebellious and defiant image in his early days in salsa and his political stances in recent years. On his social networks he expressed open support for Donald Trump and shared messages that critics described as racist and xenophobic.
Columbus was buried in a private ceremony after the public funeral.
