Meet Simón, the so-called gran varón (great man) who turns his father’s dreams upside down. Willie Colón spins a vivid story that begins in a 1956 hospital room, where Don Andrés rejoices at having a son. Raised under strict machismo rules, Simón is expected to copy his father’s path, yet when he moves abroad he embraces his true identity: living openly as a woman, wearing skirts, lipstick, and a large purse. A surprise visit exposes the transformation, and Andrés’s refusal to accept it sets off a heartbreaking chain of silence.
The chorus warns, “Palo que nace doblado, jamás su tronco endereza” (a tree born bent will never straighten), underscoring the futility of trying to “fix” someone’s nature. As gossip, stigma, and an unnamed illness (widely understood as AIDS) close in, Simón dies alone in 1986, while his father is left with regret and bitterness. Colón’s salsa classic is both a cautionary tale and a plea for compassion: accept people as they are, or risk living in your own private hell of intolerance. The horns may be lively, but the message is a powerful lesson on gender identity, societal judgment, and unconditional love.
William Anthony Colón Román, known as Willie Colón, is a legendary salsa musician and social activist born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents in 1950. A pioneering trombonist and vocalist, he began his music career at just 15 and quickly rose to fame as a key figure in the New York salsa scene associated with Fania Records.
Willie Colón is celebrated for blending salsa with jazz, rock, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, creating timeless music that explores Puerto Rican identity and diaspora. Over five decades, he has collaborated with iconic artists like Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, and Rubén Blades, contributing to some of the genre's best-selling albums. Beyond music, Colón has been deeply involved in political activism and community service, making him not only a cultural icon but also a committed advocate for social change.