"We see many artists since they are children, Too many politicians pop up out of nowhere when they want to get elected..
Photo Cortesey of Instituto Zacatecano de Cultura

Zacatecas, Zac., March 20th.

Willie Colon opened last Saturday the outdoors activities in this city - designated to the Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO - the 19th Cultural Festival Zacatecas 2005. The native New Yorker from the Bronx had breakfast at the Emporio hotel, in the evening he went to sound check,  he then slept a few hours before getting on stage of the Main Plaza and said that the cold weather  "can be better resisted with the aid of the people and a couple of whiskies".

 Moments before, Governor Amalia Garcia, inaugurating the festival, expressed: "This is an effort of my government for the people of Zacatecas". The five thousand attendees to Willie’s concert affirmed it (the entrance was free). State Executive, Prof. David Eduardo Rivera, director of the Instituto Zacatecano de Cultura, said that most of the activities are free to the public. "The important thing is to give to our people the opportunity to have contact with the diverse artistic manifestations."

 Time was 8:40 pm and the Main Plaza was full. Fireworks roared in the heavens and hundreds of bats fled terrified. Between applause, Willie appeared. From the Bronx to the Main Plaza of Zacatecas, an historic site since the revolution. "Pancho Villa walked through here", announced some of the vendors and traveling photographers.

 Willie’s orchestra began playing “Te Conozco Bacalao… aunque vengas disfrazao”. It is pure rhythm what is played by this group of salsa stars. Most only watch the concert, listen to it. He continues with “Ten cuidao”. Ricardo Pons on the sax plays notes that make that hypnotize the throngs. He finishes to thunderous applause.

 For Willie, Mexico is "the Hollywood of Latin America. It is the platform of Hispanic talent”. From here all types of artists are launched and it is the most important country as far as media is concerned. “For me it is important to come here " said the 11 times Grammy nominee.

 Some people could not resist and just be there, warming up in their seats; they got up to dance to “Gitana”. At the piano Juan Manuel Granados is an exponent of virtuosity. "Gitana, Gitana, Gitana...” People don’t know about Salsa danced Chayánne style and they dance freely, just as one dances cumbia, others just hopping.

 Willie is still cold. He rubs his hands and takes his trombone. "I don’t know if I am doing singing better or if I just think I am" (referring to the whiskies), he expressed provoking laughter. What followed was worthy of the Gods: Idilio. He ended with “Demasiado Corazon”. Dozens already danced Willie’s Salsa, famous in the world over since the sixties of last century, when he partnered with Héctor Lavoe. "He and I came from the poor part of the Bronx”. We traveled through Latin America and realized on how our music works. About Hector (Lavoe), who passed away 10 years ago, I have many great memories. Here, in Mexico, I remained four years with my family. We learned to love and to understand the Mexican people.

 "I am an executive for the City of New York under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and what I learned here I apply now there, in addition to your culture.

In a concert like this in Zacatecas one does not know what is going to happen. But little by little by the end of the night you can tell. It is a communication and one realizes if we are being understood. Music is truly a universal language."

 That “communication” occurred when he sang “Periodico de Ayer”, one of the greatest Lavoe’s greatest hits, his brother. In case it you weren’t totally satisfied, he began playing “El Gran Varon” (the Great Man) and “El Todopoderoso” (The Almighty), just in time for Easter. He left the stage between applause and the Main Plaza looked like the dance floor of any other Salsa club, like the thousands that there are all over the world.

 He returned to the stage for an encore, to close with “La Murga de Panama”, a song that has the strongest beginning in all the history of Salsa.

 The notes of “La murga de Panama” stayed in the ears of the revelers.

 Many walked away dancing and singing those notes. Soon after, Willie offered a press conference in which he expressed that "Bush got a great amount of Latin votes; that was a surprise for us. In New York there is not as much violence against Latinos and Mexicans like in California. That is because the proximity with the border. In New York it is very difficult for immigration to deport them, because of the distance and the expensive. There is also more tolerance. New York is a more tolerant city than Los Angeles.

 "For many Americans Latinos are a threat. Latinos do not assimilate so easily. The Greeks already almost don’t speak Greek, but Latinos don’t give up on their language and their culture. We maintain a separated base. In almost all the country it is necessary to conduct business in Spanish. We are the greatest minority in the country. We still have much work ahead, but perhaps in 10 years we will have U.S. Senators and perhaps a Presidential candidate...

 "Americans complain much about Latinos, but the country would grind to a halt without our work, because we are in all the services. We do most of the work." He added that his plan to take the Grammy ceremony to New York has been delayed because "whenever we do an offer the price goes up. The problem in New York is that everything is more expensive. We offer four million, but the four mayors of Miami unite, and they offer another four million. They get to keep more of it in Miami, so for that reason it happens in Miami. But New York is New York!”

 From the beginning, he added, many of his songs had a socio-polítical touch. I went to the schools and I gave speeches. "That’s how I began my political career, in 1994 I ran for Congress and later to be Public Advocate. It is important to emphasize that there is a nexus between being an artist and being politician. We see many artists since they are children, we literally watch them grownup. And we see you, the people. Most politicians pop up out of nowhere when they want to get elected. Latinos must learn to participate in the electoral process or in the end they will get nothing", Willie concluded. He returned to New York on Sunday. "I do not have any plans to return to Mexico for the rest of the year".

Translation: Ernesto Hernández