All posts tagged: salsa

Rosie Perez-hosted podcast tells history of salsa music in New York

Rosie Perez-hosted podcast tells history of salsa music in New York

Published by Sam Flores

Over the last year, salsa music has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance — thanks in part to the success of Bad Bunny’s universally acclaimed album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which featured the salsa fusion hits “Baile Inolvidable” and “Nuevayol.” The latter of those two tracks served as a nod to the original hub of the salsa genre in the mainland U.S. Debuting on May 26, a new Futuro Media podcast series titled “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York,” will chronicle how the musical styling moved from the Caribbean to the Big Apple and took on a distinctive shape and sound. The program kicks off at the rise of Fania Records — known as the Motown of salsa — in 1964 and how it turned into the music label that signed legendary artists such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Héctor LaVoe, Rubén Blades, Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri. Narrated by prominent Nuyorican actor/dancer Rosie Perez, the series will also delve into the socio-cultural aspects of the genre’s surge in New York and …

Best Electric Mountain Bikes (2026): Specialized, Cannondale, Salsa

Best Electric Mountain Bikes (2026): Specialized, Cannondale, Salsa

Published by skeptic

Electric mountain bikes are both a godsend and a curse if you like riding on trails. There’s an old saying that you have to “earn your turns”—that the dopamine-boosting swerves and leaps down a pump track just don’t feel as good if you aren’t shaky-legged and sweating from pedaling all the way up to the top. That is a lie. It feels wonderful either way. (Just follow the cries of rapidly descending “whoo-hoo!” downhill.) Sneering at e-MTBs keeps a lot of people from the sport who aren’t in the best physical shape, including former MTBers who may have gotten older or injured. Gatekeeping is never a good look. On the other hand, getting buzzed by a ton of e-mopeds in the shape of bikes on a backwoods trail is enough to make anyone murderous. Testing electric mountain bikes is one of my favorite things to do. That’s why I’ve collected some of our favorite rides to help get you outside and moving. Every electric mountain bike here has been personally tested on over 50 miles …

Salsa Wanderosa Electric Bike Review: Full-Suspension Drop-Bar Gravel Ride

Salsa Wanderosa Electric Bike Review: Full-Suspension Drop-Bar Gravel Ride

Published by skeptic

Finally, it has my two favorite things: drop-bar handlebars and a dropper seat post. I guess I should disclose here that my everyday analog ride is also a gravel bike, and that personally, I like to tool around on a long, relaxed frame with my hands sloppily splayed this way and that on comfortable padded drop bars. I’m on dirt and gravel a lot, but I’m just not a fan of super technical riding. Also, everyone should have a dropper seat post. I took the bike out for multiple 15- to 20-mile rides over a few weeks. OK, it’s not that hard, physically, to ride for an hour with electric assist while listening to podcasts, but I appreciate being able to move my seat around quickly at stop lights when my butt and quads decide to stop working that well. Even with these additions and the full MTB front and rear suspension, the bike weighs a surprisingly little 40 pounds for the large frame. From riding a lot of electric bikes, I’d estimate a bike …

Salsa Music Trailblazer Was 75

Salsa Music Trailblazer Was 75

Published by Daniella Wilson

Willie Colón, the trailblazing American salsa musician, has died. He was 75. Colón died Saturday morning, his family shared in a statement on his Facebook page. No cause of death was detailed. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colón. He passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement read. “While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever. Our family is deeply grateful for your prayers and support during this time of mourning. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate our grief.” Born and raised in the Bronx, Colón had an early musical talent, playing the trumpet and trombone. He signed his first contract, with Fania Records, at 15. His debut album El Malo was released two years later when he was 17. Throughout his career, he has released a plethora of projects and worked alongside the likes of Celia …

Willie Colón dead: Salsa trombone legend was 75

Willie Colón dead: Salsa trombone legend was 75

Published by Sam Flores

Willie Colón, a legendary trombonist and pioneer of salsa music, has died. He was 75. His death on Saturday was confirmed in a Facebook post by his longtime manager, Pietro Carlos. News of the singer’s condition circulated on the web in recent days. Yonkers Voice News reported Colón was admitted to NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester hospital in Bronxville, N.Y., on Tuesday with respiratory problems and he appeared fragile. Born William Anthony Colón Román on April 28, 1950, to Puerto Rican parents in New York City, Colón first picked up the trumpet in school. It seemed like a natural choice for the former bugle-playing Boy Scout, who attended the youth program at the suggestion of his grandmother. “So I could learn how to be a good boy,” said Colón in a 1988 interview with Associated Press. By age 13, Colón had started a band and played at some weddings and in the bustling nightclubs of New York City. At one point, he forged a cabaret card, a mandated ID for musicians and entertainers between 1940 and 1967 who …

Willie Colón, salsa singer and musician, dies aged 75

Willie Colón, salsa singer and musician, dies aged 75

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Willie Colón, the prominent salsa singer and musician, has died aged 75. Colón’s family announced his death Saturday with a tribute on Facebook. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colón. He passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his beloved family,” the statement underneath an image of the singer read in both Spanish and English. “While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever.” The statement concluded: “Our family is deeply grateful for your prayers and support during this time of mourning. We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate our grief.” Musician Willie Colón’s family announced his death Saturday (Getty Images) The details of his funeral have not yet been finalized or …