Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon

Born in New York City on December 28, 1953, Pulpo began his musical journey at the young age of 14. After experimenting with various instruments, Pulpo ultimately joined his dear friend Oscar Hernández with piano lessons. Under the tutelage of piano luminary Charlie Palmieri, Pulpo quickly learned the essential skills for success in the music industry. As a teenager, Pulpo recorded & performed with some of the biggest bands in the business including Rafi Val’s La Diferente, Pete “Conde” Rodriguez, and Kako’s All Stars. In 1975, Pulpo received his big break and was approached by FANIA All-Star vocalist Héctor Lavoe to be his pianist and musical director. For 16 years, Pulpo recorded and served with Lavoe and as musical director, Pulpo integrated a second trumpet to the orchestra which proved to add an extra dimension to the already talented band. Pulpo is credited for playing with all three of the “Big 3”: Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez and Machito. In addition, Pulpo is highly regarded as a teacher of piano and musical theory in which he taught for over 16 years at Johnny Colón’s East Harlem Music School in New York City. In addition to his own band, Pulpo continues to play and tour with the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra. Most recently, Pulpo has become the musical director of Orquesta De La Gente (ODLG), a group dedicated to the memory of Héctor Lavoe.