When the film West Side Story was released in 1961, New York's reviled Puerto Rican community gained some visibility and, over time, both in Spanish Harlem and the Bronx, neighborhoods plagued by poverty, drugs and crime, Hispanic identity was reborn and strengthened, thanks to a syncretic and intentionally popular music that eventually conquered the entire city.
William Anthony Colón Román, better known as Willie Colón, is a Nuyorican salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist, and also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in the politics of New York City and international politics.