Willie Colon Brings his Salsa to The Bronx

Willie Colon at Lehman Center

Willie Colon returns after a
decade to perform at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250
Bedford Park Boulevard West in the Bronx, NY, on Saturday, August 18th
at 8:00 p.m.; although, on June 23, 2004, Lehman College conferred upon Colon a
Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. 
Therefore, his return is no less than triumphant, with tickets selling
like hotcakes.  The show is promoted as “Willie Colon: LA Historia. A title suggestive of the vast history the
renowned singer, composer, producer, actor, community leader, director and
liaison of the Latin Media Entertainment Commission established by Mayor
Bloomberg, has had since his debut at age 14, as a band leader.

The Bronx born Colon was 15
when he signed with Fania Records and 17 years old when he put out recordings
such as El Malo which included his popular song “Jazzy”; The Good, The Bad, the
Ugly (Grammy nominated); The Hustler, Cosa Nuestra, Crime Pays, Fantasmas,
Willie Colon and Tito Puente and in 2008, Asalto Naviderio Live.En Vivo.  Colon who has sold more than 30 million
records worldwide, has recorded over 40 albums, including 15 gold and 5
platinum records.  He was nominated for a
Grammy 15 times and in 2004, received a Lifetime Achievement Latin Grammy
Award.

Throughout his career, Willie
Colon has collaborated with artists such as Hector LaVoe, David Byrne, Celia
Cruz, Ruben Blades, Mon Rivera, Da House and Nick Torres.  In fact, his collaboration with Blades resulted
in “Siembra,” one of his highest selling salsa albums.

While there is no doubt Colon
is known for his music, he is also respected for his community involvements,
both locally and internationally.  Where
does one begin when citing his many community endeavors?  He has served as a member of several boards
of directors. He chaired the Association of Hispanic Arts. He was on the board
of the United Nations Immigrant Foundation. 
He was the first minority to serve on the ASCAP National Board of
Trustees. 1991, Willie was awarded
Yale University’s CHUBB Fellowship.
 He was a spokesperson for CARE.  He campaigned to end U.S. military occupation
and the practice of bombing the Island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, which earned
him the EPA’s Environmental Quality Award. Mr. Colon has served as a lecturer
and visiting professor at several prestigious schools and colleges and was
given an honorary doctorate at Trinity College as well as at Lehman
College.  In 2008, he was named one of the 100 most influential Latinos
by People en Espanol.
The United Nations presented him in
2009, with the Latino Trendsetter Award.

Although, Colon started off
playing the trumpet, he became more famous as a trombonist. Proud of his Puerto
Rican heritage and love of salsa music, Colon credits his grandmother for
giving him his sense of humanity and pride in his Latin heritage.

Willie is beloved throughout the world and has spent years
touring outside the United States.  In
fact in 1998,  he joined forces with
Ruben Blades and performed for over 140,000 people in Venezuela as part of an Amnesty International
event and also participated with Marc Anthony in a sold-out Latin
America tour. 

Colon is devoted to his family and enjoys spending down time
with his wife Julia and their sons.  He
is also enjoys hobbies such as working with computers, flying and boating.  To learn more about Mr. Colon go to www.williecolon.com

For tickets to WILLIE COLÓN: LA HISTORIA, Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 8pm, call the Lehman
Center box office at 718-960-8833  or go on line at www.LehmanCenter.org. Lehman
Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw
Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking is
available for $5.





 

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