Willie Colón, born April 28, 1950, is an influential American salsa musician and social activist. Launching his career as a trombonist, he expanded his talents to singing, songwriting, producing, and acting. A trailblazer in salsa, Colón played a central role in shaping the New York City salsa scene with Fania Records and achieved major success as one of the genre's top artists. Known for adopting a distinctive gangster image on his album covers ahead of its time, he has also been active in New York City politics since the 1980s.