Urban salsa music pioneer Willie Colón remembered at New York funeral

NEW YORK (AP) — Family, friends and fans gathered Monday morning in New York to pay tribute to Willie Colón, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and social activist who died last month at 75.

A public funeral Mass was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, following a weekend of private and public visitations. His burial will be private.

The trombonist, composer, arranger and singer born William Anthony Colón Roman died on Feb. 21. The cause was not publicly announced.