Welcome back to Uptown Voices! Riding high on their recent Pix11 broadcast debut, Octavio Blanco and Led Black sit down with a true Uptown powerhouse: Willy Rodriguez. Born and raised in Washington Heights/Inwood, Willy has built a staggering resume that spans the highest levels of both the music and television industries.

In this episode, Willy traces his journey from a five-year-old classical piano prodigy playing Carnegie Hall to joining District 6’s legendary public school jazz band, Clave Azul. He shares incredible, never-before-heard stories—including the moment a 13-year-old Willy played a piano solo so good it made Celia Cruz stand up and yell "Azúcar!" and the hard lessons he learned after bombing his first gig as Tito Puente Jr.’s 19-year-old Musical Director.

Today, Willy is a Secretary for the New York chapter of the Recording Academy (The Grammys), a television programmer for the WWE and the YES Network, and the co-founder of the highly anticipated International Salsa Museum. Willy breaks down exactly how independent artists can get a seat at the table at the Grammys, why NYC desperately needs a 100,000-square-foot facility to honor salsa legends, and why music education in public schools is the ultimate game-changer for our youth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:26 Introduction to Willy Rodriguez and his salsa journey

03:56 Willy's Roots in Washington Heights

10:00 Early Musical Influences and Education

19:52 The Impact of District Six and Clave Azul

29:58 Performing with Tito Puente and Celia Cruz

32:47 Willy's first major gig at the Copacabana

33:14 Getting the call from Tito Puente Jr.

33:52 Understanding Tito Puente's music and its complexity

36:10 First concert with Tito Puente and lessons learned

37:22 The second performance and preparation

39:01 The importance of studying and mentorship

39:51 Cultural Roots of Salsa and Afro-Cuban Music

40:19 The role of the Recording Academy and how to join

45:11 The International Salsa Museum's mission and vision

49:04 Current progress and future plans for the Salsa Museum

50:05 Transition from Classical to Latin Music

52:27 The staying power of salsa and its global influence

55:29 The connection between salsa and dance

58:04 Salsa's similarities with hip hop and cultural fusion

59:48 Community, Family, and Discipline in Music

01:03:08 Community support and programming initiatives

01:04:27 The importance of telling our own stories

01:08:47 Willy's advice on continuous learning and community impact

01:10:00 The Future of Salsa and Community Engagement

Join the Uptown Voices Movement: Uptown Voices is built by the community, for the community. We are telling the stories of the paradigm shifters in Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, and the Bronx—but we can’t do it without your backing.

• Invest in Independent Media: We are incredibly proud to be a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. This means any financial contribution you make is 100% tax-deductible! https://bit.ly/4eddiWT.

• Volunteer Your Skills: Want to get in on the ground floor of a growing media movement? We just welcomed two new volunteers, but we have room for more! If you have talents in graphic design, video editing, marketing, or community outreach, we want you on the team. Fill out the volunteer form: https://forms.gle/r9vGMDXyGRgycwrLA.

• Subscribe and Share: The easiest way to support us is free. Hit that subscribe button, share this episode with a neighbor, and join the conversation in the comments.

Spread love, it’s the Uptown way.