Willie Colón, Bronx-born of Puerto Rican grandparents,
has fused his musical talent, his passion for humanity, and his community
and political activism into an extraordinary, multifaceted career.
His achievements in all his activities are widely recognized. As musician,
composer, arranger, singer and trombonist, as well as producer and director,
he has created 39 productions that have sold close to ten million records
worldwide. As director of the band Legal Alien, he has won 11 Grammy nominations,
has fifteen gold and five platinum records, has collaborated with such
musical greats as Ruben Blades, David Byrne, Hector LaVoe, and Celia
Cruz. His music, which has powerfully influenced modern Latin jazz,
reflects both rhythmic traditional lyrics and the cries of farewell and
hope from a new generation pressured to abandon their homeland to congregate
in urban America. William Anthony Colón Román (his full name)
learned the lyrics from his Abuela (grandmother) Antonia, as she rocked
him to sleep during his childhood in the heart of the Puerto Rican Bronx.
Her strong beliefs and personality also powerfully influenced his devotion
to his cultural roots. During his musical and cultural odyssey from the
Bronx to the world scene, he moved from a fascination with the tropical
paradise of his ancestors to the stark street images of rebellious youth
and social struggle and finally to a mature fusion of joy and injustice,
beauty and suffering, romance and realism.
As a community leader, he has won both local affection and national
recognition. Colón first emerged as a leader and organizer at age
16; he has since been a civil rights, community and political activist
and well as being Chair of the Association of Hispanic Arts, a member of
the Latino Commission on AIDS, a member of the United Nations Immigrant
Foundation, President of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New
York, member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Institute, a founding member of the New Rochelle (N.Y.) Hispanic Advisory
Board, founding member of the New Rochelle Judicial System Committee and
various other projects and organizations too numerous too mention.
In 1993 he participated in the Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies, and
in the following year, President Clinton invited Colón to become
a member of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He declined
this distinction in order to run in New York States 17th Congressional
District primary. In 1991 he was awarded Yale University's CHUBB Fellowship,
a political recognition he shares with the late John F. Kennedy, Moshe
Dyan, Jesse Jackson, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to mention a few.
In 1995 he became the first minority to serve on the prestigious ASCAP
National Board. In 1996 he was nominated as one of the 100 most influential
U.S. Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine.
Along with all these commitments, Willie Colón gives priority
to spending time with his wife, Julia, and their four sons, and indulging
in such other interests as flying (he is a licensed private pilot) and
computer programming. Through his work and positive message he has developed
into a national and internationally respected socio-political voice.
Biography courtesy of Duende Management. |