{"id":159663,"date":"2026-03-10T21:35:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T21:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/159663\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:35:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T21:35:57","slug":"fans-mourn-bronx-born-salsa-legend-willie-colon-at-st-patricks-cathedral-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/159663\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans mourn Bronx-born salsa legend Willie Col\u00f3n at St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Willie\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Willie Colon playing his trombone in front of a Puerto Rican flag.<\/p>\n

Image from funeral program distributed at the service via the Col\u00f3n family.<\/p>\n

Fans, family, and fellow musicians gathered at St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral on Monday to mourn the loss of beloved salsa icon Willie Col\u00f3n.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Col\u00f3n was a trombonist, singer, bandleader, composer and producer who helped revolutionize salsa music, blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms with elements of R&B, funk and jazz. His work helped shape the sound of New York salsa and propel the genre to international prominence.<\/p>\n

Fans from around the world arrived at the landmark Midtown cathedral for the funeral Mass. Col\u00f3n\u2019s family said the musician had asked while he was alive for his services to be held at St. Patrick\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"FansFans tear up as pallbearers bring the casket of Willie Col\u00f3n down the steps, as trombonists play \u2018La Murga.\u2019 Photo by Marina Samuel<\/p>\n

Bronx-based auxiliary bishop Joseph A. Espaillat led the prayers for Col\u00f3n. During the service, Espaillat reflected on how the musician\u2019s work touched generations, recalling how hearing Col\u00f3n\u2019s 1973 song El D\u00eda de Mi Suerte<\/a> first introduced him to the trombone as a child.<\/p>\n

For many who attended, Col\u00f3n\u2019s music shaped personal memories and cultural identity, drawing mourners of all ethnic backgrounds.\n<\/p>\n

After the funeral, hundreds gathered on the cathedral steps, many in tears. As Col\u00f3n\u2019s casket was carried outside, trombonists played the iconic riff from La Murga<\/a>, his 1970 hit recorded with longtime collaborator H\u00e9ctor Lavoe during their years with Fania Records.<\/p>\n

Col\u00f3n was born William Arturo Col\u00f3n Rom\u00e1n to Puerto Rican parents in the South Bronx. Raised largely by his grandmother, he was introduced to Latin music at an early age. As a teenager, he joined the then-nascent Fania Records label, which would become the epicenter of the salsa movement in New York.<\/p>\n

In his six-decade career, Col\u00f3n created more than 40 albums and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

The singer died Feb. 21 at age 75 after being hospitalized with respiratory issues at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Bronxville, New York.
\n\"BronxBronx auxillary bishop Joseph Espaillat leads prayers and gives a speech at the funeral of Willie Col\u00f3n. Photo by Marina Samuel\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWillie was a boy from the South Bronx, who was born with a gift and a hunger to succeed,\u201d said Col\u00f3n\u2019s son, Alejandro Col\u00f3n in a eulogy. \u201cHe soaked up the essence of every street he walked on. The smell, the sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows Willie \u2018El Malo,\u2019 Willie El Salsero, Willie the composer, even Willie the sheriff, but to us he was Papa,\u201d said Diego Col\u00f3n in his eulogy to his father.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond music, Col\u00f3n also entered public life. He worked in the mayoral administrations of David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg, and later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1994 and for New York City public advocate in 2001.<\/p>\n

Col\u00f3n also spent part of his career in law enforcement, serving as a deputy sheriff and later as a deputy lieutenant with the Department of Public Safety in Westchester County.<\/p>\n

Following his death, some salsa fans reflected on the contrast between Col\u00f3n\u2019s early image as a rebellious, boundary-pushing figure in salsa and his later political views. In recent years, his social media posts drew attention<\/a> for his outspoken support of Donald Trump and for sharing messages critics described as racist and xenophobic.<\/p>\n

Col\u00f3n was laid to rest in a private burial following the public funeral.\n<\/p>\n

Reach Marina Samuel at\u00a0msamuel@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram!<\/a><\/p>\n

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