willie colon

"Cosa Nuestra" (1970), the 4th album by Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe, turned 50 and its re-release now made it to the Billboard charts. "Cosa Nuestra" #3 in Billboard A new edition of "Cosa Nuestra" was released to celebrate its 50th…

Since I was 12 years old, Willie Colon's "Asalto Navideño" was the 1st album I played to celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season. "Asalto Navideño": My Favorite Christmas Classic Since then, "Asalto Navideño" became my way…

"Siembra", arguably the most popular album recorded in Salsa music, turns 40 this year. In this blog, I'll take a closer look at Willie Colon's and Ruben Blades' masterpiece which redefined Salsa. "Siembra" Redefined the Salsa Message With…

Merengue took a page from Salsa’s evolution book, changing to romantic themes and modernizing its sound. This was in stark contrast to the themes and sound of the bands of the 70s. With these changes, merengue found rapid acceptance of…

"El Cantante" (The Singer) is an iconic song in Salsa and Latin music. It carried Hector Lavoe's comeback album "Comedia" and possibly elevated him from Salsa star to Salsa legend. Hector Gets Ruben Blades' Song "El Cantante" was written…

After a couple of years out of the music scene trying to get his life back in control, Héctor Lavoe made his anticipated comeback with the album "Comedia". Following his first two albums as a soloist, “La Voz” (1975) and “De Ti Depende”…

In this blog we cover the boom of Rock and Disco in the 70's & 80's and how this represented a threat for Salsa music. We'll also cover how Salsa evolved into a more "mainstream" version. As I mentioned in my previous Part 2a blog,…

The Salsa music boom in popularity took place in the late 1960s into the early 1970s. The Latin music from urban New York had taken shape. This music combined Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazzy brass and a contemporary urban storyline.…

Willie Colon launched his 50 Anniversary Tour in Puerto Rico, which made me reflect on the career accomplishments of this Salsa music legend. A mediocre musician per his own admission, Willie Colon became Salsa music star since his teen…