Urban salsa music pioneer Willie Colón to be remembered at New York funeral
ABC News
Family, friends and fans are gathering for the funeral of urban salsa music pioneer Willie Colón
NEW YORK -- Family, friends and fans will gather Monday morning in New York to pay tribute to Willie Colón, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and social activist who died last month at 75.
A public funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, following a weekend of private and public visitations. His burial will be private.
The trombonist, composer, arranger and singer died on Feb. 21. The cause was not publicly announced. His family said on social media that he passed away peacefully surrounded by relatives at a hospital in Westchester County, just north of New York City.
“While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories that will live on forever,” his family said in a statement.
Born in New York City’s Bronx borough, Colón produced more than 40 albums that sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and collaborated with a wide variety of artists, including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz.
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Family, friends and fans are gathering for the funeral of urban salsa music pioneer Willie Colón
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