Willie colon discography biography

Retrieved October 16, July 1, The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on April 16, El Universal. May 23, The New York Observer. January 17, Retrieved September 13, August 29, Retrieved December 29, March 1, Archived from the original on March 6, Retrieved October 31, Prometheus Global Media.

Retrieved October 8, Archived from the original on July 19, Retrieved July 19, April 28, Archived from the original on March 13, October 31, CNN in Spanish. April 26, Retrieved April 26, April 25, For this transitional effort, entitled The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly , Colon asked Blades to contribute the vocals for "El cazanguero," which Blades had written.

In Blades left the Barretto band, and shortly afterward recorded his first album as Colon's lead vocalist. The album, Matiendo mano , represented a breakthrough for both men. Because critics had carped that Blades' vocal style and timbre too closely mirrored that of Cheo Feliciano, the singer worked closely with Colon to create a new singing style.

On the instrumental side, Colon's band, now fronted by four trombones, had an exciting and elegant new sound, further enhanced by the thoughtful arrangements of the late Louie Ramirez, Sonny Bravo, Luis "Perico" Ortiz, and Colon himself. The album was a resounding critical and popular success. Following up on their success with Matiendo mano , Colon and Blades released Siembra , which became one of the biggest selling salsa albums ever released.

In the early s, Colon and Blades teamed up again to release a two-part Latin suite entitled Maestra vida , which showcased the full spectrum of Blades' compositions in the context of a Broadway-type musical drama. In the two collaborated on Fantasmas , on which Colon performed solo vocals, and Canciones del solar de los aburridos , which contained such hit singles as "Tiburon," "Ligia Elena," and "Te estan buscando.

It was to be their last collaboration for several years. As their recording careers progressed, both Colon and Blades became upset and frustrated with the treatment they received from Fania record executives. They left the label, despite Blades' remaining contractual commitment to another three albums, and Colon's to another six. After disappointing experiences with both the RCA and Sonotone labels, however, Colon returned to Fania in the late s to produce the last two albums for which he was obligated.

He collaborated again with Celia Cruz on The Winners , released in , and in released Top Secrets , which included his hit single, "El gran varon. Despite their claims to the contrary, however, it later became clear that the relationship between the two artists had deteriorated dramatically. Beginning in and running into the mids, Colon worked for the Sony label as both an artist and a producer, releasing three solo albums, American Color in , Honra y cultura in , and Hecho en Puerto Rico in Although he was increasingly discouraged by Sony's lack of promotion for his efforts, Colon was persuaded to take part in a Sony project that reunited him with longtime collaborator Blades.

That album, Tras la tormenta , released in , was an artistic disappointment, largely because the tracks of each were recorded separately and later merged in the recording studio. They didn't even get together for the album cover photo session. In the latter half of the s, Colon moved his home base to Mexico City, recording for Azteca Records there and later appearing for a time in a recurring role in the television Azteca telenovela soap opera , Demasiado Corazon.

A CD by the same name was a big success in Latin markets and was later released in the United States. Although he had chosen to live in Mexico City, Colon remained keenly interested in American political developments, and he returned frequently to the land of his birth. In addition to their passion for music, Colon and Blades shared a profound interest in politics.

In , both men ran unsuccessfully for office in their respective countries. Blades fell short in his bid for the presidency of Panama, while Colon failed to win the Democratic nomination for New York's 17th District congressional seat. Both men have used their music as a vehicle for their political philosophies. Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza banned Colon's songs in that country in the s, and Colon has been arrested a number of times in Latin American countries for his outspoken views.

In , after performing at President Clinton's inaugural festivities, Colon was invited by Clinton to join the president's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He turned down the invitation so that he could devote his full attention to his bid for the congressional seat. Colon reunited once again with Blades in the fall of for a smashingly successful concert at La Carlota Airport in Caracas, Venezuela--more than , tickets were sold.

His political consciousness was aroused by the controversy surrounding the American military's use of Vieques, an island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, for bombing practice. In Colon mounted a campaign for public advocate in New York City. Business — El Malo Inc. After playing a date in Panama City , Colon and his band members were backstage when Blades popped in to meet them.

It would be a few years, however, before Colon and Blades collaborated on a larger scale. On the surface, Colon claimed the decision was motivated by his need for a break from the pressures of touring as well as a desire to expand his musical knowledge through further study. Colon had also become increasingly involved in producing records and was planning to produce an album that blended Puerto Rican folkloric themes with some of the new influences that had caught his interest, including Brazilian music.

The project reunited the former band, vocalist Lavoe, Yomo Toro, and a handful of studio musicians. The album, Matiendo mano, represented a breakthrough for both men. The album was a resounding critical and popular success. Following up on their success with Matiendo mano, Colon and Blades released Siembra, which became one of the biggest selling salsa albums ever released.

As their recording careers progressed, both Colon and Blades became upset and frustrated with the treatment they received from Fania record executives. After disappointing experiences with both the RCA and Sonotone labels, however, Colon returned to Fania in the late s to produce the last two albums for which he was obligated. Despite their claims to the contrary, however, it later became clear that the relationship between the two artists had deteriorated dramatically.

Beginning in and running into the mids, Colon worked for the Sony label as both an artist and a producer, releasing three solo albums, American Color in , Honra y cultura in , and Hecho en Puerto Rico in That album, Tras la tormenta, released in , was an artistic disappointment, largely because the tracks of each were recorded separately and later merged in the recording studio.

In the latter half of the s, Colon moved his home base to Mexico City , recording for Azteca Records there and later appearing for a time in a recurring role in the television Azteca telenovela soap opera , Demasiado Corazon. A CD by the same name was a big success in Latin markets and was later released in the United States. Although he had chosen to live in Mexico City, Colon remained keenly interested in American political developments, and he returned frequently to the land of his birth.

In addition to their passion for music, Colon and Blades shared a profound interest in politics. In , both men ran unsuccessfully for office in their respective countries. Both men have used their music as a vehicle for their political philosophies. He turned down the invitation so that he could devote his full attention to his bid for the congressional seat.

Willie colon discography biography

Colon reunited once again with Blades in the fall of for a smashingly successful concert at La Carlota Airport in Caracas , Venezuela — more than , tickets were sold. In Colon mounted a campaign for public advocate in New York City. In the end, he threw his support to former opponent Betsy Gotbaum, who won the job in a runoff election in October of Away from the concert hall and political arena, Colon enjoys a quiet family life with his wife Julia and their four sons.

Among his interests are flying and computer programming. His contribution to Latin music — and more specifically the unique sound of salsa — has been immeasurable. Los Angeles Times, June 23, Amerman, Don " Colon, Willie. Amerman, Don "Colon, Willie. Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. Colon, Willie gale. Selected discography El malo, Fania, The Hustler, Fania, Guisando, Fania, Cosa nuestra, Fania, Asalto navideno, Fania,