Orios Designs

On Friday, April 3, 2026, Caridad De La Luz—widely known as La Bruja—marked a powerful milestone: 30 years since her first appearance reciting poetry at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Over the past three decades, La Bruja has become a defining voice in Puerto Rican poetry, using her platform to uplift the community and advocate for critical issues including domestic violence awareness, social justice, and cultural preservation.... Read more
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Thank You and the entire staff for hosting such an epic historic event last night. Thank You for sharing your wisdom last night. We greatly appreciate your love and dedication to out PuertoRicand and Latino community. Michael Abramson who documented the movement with his camera and who's photos are inthe documentary.
Shout out to the OGs who were present 30 years ago at the original screening of Palante Siempre Palante. for exhibiting his Young Lords collection and to everyone in attendance. A huge thank you to the original Young Lords who were in the building... and to the new generation of Young Lords keeping the legacy alive.. We're still here making history. Palante Siempre Palante! Tengo Puerto Rico En Mi Corazon. 🇵🇷

Dear Willie,
Thank you for sharing your music with us. You were always a good person when I'd asked to take your photo at events. May You Rest In Paridise my brother. 👑🎺🇵🇷🎤📸🙏🏽

William Anthony Colón Román (April 28, 1950 - February 2026) was born in the South Bronx in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. He picked up the trumpet from a young age, and later switched to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and Barry Rogers. He spent some summers at his maternal grandmother's sister's farm in the outskirts of Manatí, Puerto Rico on the road to neighboring Ciales, Puerto Rico.

At the age of 15, he was signed to Fania Records, and at 17, he recorded his first album, which ultimately sold more than 300,000 copies. The main record producer at Fania at the time, Johnny Pacheco, recommended Héctor Lavoe to him. 

Colón has been a civil rights, community, and political activist since the age of 16. He has served as a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and President of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York, member of the board of directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 1995, Colón became the first person of color to serve on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) national board, replacing Stephen Sondheim, and was also a member of the ASCAP Foundation.

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