Salsa legend Willie Colón, 75, celebrated with funeral Mass at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral

American salsa legend Willie Colón, a pioneering trombonist, vocalist, and composer, was honored with a funeral Mass on Monday (March 9) at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. 

This was the location Colón desired, according to his son, Alejandro Miguel Colón. "Thanks to all that loved him, we sure got it done," Alejandro said.

Colón died on Saturday (February 21) at age 75, his family said in a statement. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Colón recorded dozens of albums, including La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) in 1970 and El Juicio in 1972, according to Fania Records, a label that promoted salsa music.

He signed with Fania at age 15 and two years later, in 1967, released his first album, El Malo, which has sold more than 300,000 copies, according to his biography on the LA Philharmonic website.

Colón's music combined elements of jazz, rock, and salsa, incorporating the rhythms of traditional music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Africa, the biography said.

In 2004, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

A longtime social activist, Colón was a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the United Nations Immigrant Foundation and was a board member at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, according to the biography.

Production: Eduardo Munoz, Kyoko Gasha/Reuters