Willie Colón is apparently ready to trade his music skills for political tactics.
So don't be surprised if in 2012 you see posters of him everywhere promoting a political platform instead of a salsa album.
The thing is that you'll have to wait two more years if you want to find out which local political party he'll be supporting because he's not ready yet to disclose his political affiliation.
“I have met with some politicians already . . . but I'm not at liberty to discuss with whom. But I think that Puerto Rico needs an enhancement of the political situation that it has,” Colón, 59, told the Latin Music Examiner last week.
“I'm open to listen to anybody. I've been active in politics since the 1970s so if I ever move here I'm not going to give up politics. I would still try to be involved in the community or something in some way. They're [politicians] talking about 2012, but you know, in politics two years is like an eternity . . . they're going to go Willie, who?,” he added.
The legendary Puerto Rican trombonist, bandleader and arranger, who's credited for creating the gritty, street-tough New York salsa sound of the '60s and '70s, is gearing up for his upcoming concert “Asalto Navideño,” to be held Dec. 19 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In the two-hour event, touted as the year's blockbuster show, Colón and a group of guest artists that includes Yomo Toro, Victoria Sanabria, Vico C and Roberto Roena, among others, will revive the classic songs featured in his best-selling Christmas albums, “Asalto Navideño Vol.I (1971) and Vol. II (1972),” as well as some tracks from his newest 2008 release “El Malo Vol. II: Prisioneros del Mambo.”
Historically, Colón has brushed off the idea of inviting on stage imitators of the great salsa Puerto Rican sonero Héctor Lavoe — with whom he created some of the biggest salsa hits of the '70s — for respect to his memory and musical legacy, and this time around it will be no different.
“I've always felt weird about putting an Héctor Lavoe imitator to sing his songs . . . to me is a lack of consciousness and respect to his memory and musical legacy,” explained Colón, whose band hasn't performed here the tracks of the “Asalto Navideño” albums in over 16 years.
“I see it as being very oportunistic. The thing is that everybody wants to be in the show and first of all, I want to sing . . . I don't get to sing here that much so I don't need somebody to come and sing my songs . . . so I'm trying to make enough space for me and make everybody happy, but it's only a two-hour show,” he added.
Among the landmark songs included on Colón's holiday albums are “Aires de navidad,” “Canto a Borinquen,” “Vive tu vida contento,” “Cantemos,” “La murga “ and “Pa' los pueblos.”
There're many things in Colón's mind these days — promoting a new album after a 10-year absence, his ongoing legal battle with Rubén Blades and surviving the bone-chilling New York winters, which he said, is one of the reasons he's considering to move to the island.
But on Friday, Colón made it clear that he would first really like to settle the lawsuit against his former bandmate and renowned Panamanian salsa singer-songwriter, attorney and former politician, Blades, because it would be nice to “move on.”
“I'm hopeful that this matter can be resolved soon. It's not the end of the world. I never say never. Anything could happen and I'm open to alternatives,” he said.
“If I lose or he loses is not the point . . . it's that this thing has to be ironed out. He tried to get the suit dismissed three times, but the magistrate said no that my case had merit so it's going to be heard. I'm waiting for the date,” he added.
Colón’s collaboration with Blades on the critically acclaimed album “Siembra” (1978) still remains today
salsa’s best-selling album of all time, with Colón's “Asalto Navideño” coming in second place.
In 2003, Blades and Colón reunited for the “Siembra” 25th anniversary concert tour in Puerto Rico and Colón claims that Blades owes him $115,000 for alleged breach of contract.
Meanwhile, Blades, who alleges that the producers of the event owe him $80,500, has said that he’ll never
share a stage with Colón.
Colón is not new to politics. In 1994, he ran for a Congressional seat in the Bronx but he lost with 38 percent of the vote, and he ran again in 2004 but he also lost the race. In 2008, Colón first campaigned for Hillary Clinton, but after her loss in the primaries he supported President Barack Obama. And for the past eight years, Colón has served as an aide to New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
If there's something that's really bothering the 14-time Grammy nominated artist these days is that, even with all the praise he has earned for his legendary salsa productions, he is still waiting to win a statuette.
“I was shocked that I wasn't even nominated this year for a Latin Grammy for my new album. . . .I'm the biggest seller in the business, and I've never won one,” quipped Colón.
“I think it's really absurd. There're many new artists of many genres out there who have won five or more and I haven't won even one throughout my career. It just doesn't make any sense to me,” he added.
Colón added that “if you take 'Siembra' and 'Asalto Navideño Vol. I,' which is the biggest selling salsa album of all time, I did both of them. Is it because I'm an independent artist now?”
And what's Puerto Rico's biggest political hurdle?
“The problem with Puerto Rico is that it can't compete in the international market like the rest of the US states because it doesn't have the power to do so. And that needs to be addressed.”
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