His youngest son, Eric Bobo (Eric Correa), is a percussionist with crew Cypress Hill. He also performed on the Beastie Boys' 1994 album Ill Communication, as well as doing the 1994 Lollapalooza tour with the group
His grandson William Valen Correa, son of Bobo's first son William Gill Correa, is Co-Founder of the music-based non-profit organization HNDP Los Angeles.
Willie Bobo, who grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York made his name in Latin Jazz in the 1960's and 70's, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument. He met Mongo Santamaria shortly after his arrival in New York and studied with him while acting as his translator, and later joined Tito Puente for 4 years from the age of 19. During the early 50's the nickname Bobo is said to have been bestowed by the jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams. His first major exposure was when he joined George Shearing's band on the album The Shearing Spell. After leaving Shearing, Cal Tjader asked Bobo and Santamaria to become part of the Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet, who released several albums as the mambo craze reached fever pitch in the late 50's. Reuniting with his mentor Santamaria in 1960, the pair released the album Sabroso! for the Fantasy label. He later formed his own group releasing Do That Thing/Guajira with Tico and Bobo's Beat and Let's Go Bobo for Roulette, without achieving huge penetration.
After the runaway sucess of Tjaders Soul Sauce, in which he was heavily involved, Bobo formed a new band with the backing of the Verve label, releasing Spanish Grease, of which the title track is probably his most well known tune. Highly successful at this attempt, Bobo released a further 7 albums with Verve.
In the late 70's he moved out to Los Angeles, where he worked as a session musician for Carlos Santana among others, as well as being a regular in the band for The Bill Cosby Show. In the late seventies he recorded a couple of albums for Blue Note and Columbia records.
He was married to Alicia. He died on September 15, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. After a period of ill health, he died at the age of 49, succumbing to cancer.
Alicia, wife of Willie, said: "He wanted to come to New York...he wanted to come home...he once said that a great artist always gets recognized at the end." Willie, the eldest son spoke: "One of my father's memorable words was 'music is an international language, anyone can follow the music."' Eric, the youngest son: "He wanted everyone to be happy, no sorrow...this is how his life was, happy, smiling, to have a good time."
Discography With Cal Tjader
Latino (Fantasy, 1958)
Cal Tjader's Concert by the Sea (Fantasy, 1959)
Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (Fantasy, 1959)
West Side Story (Fantasy, 1960)
Plays Harold Arlen (Fantasy, 1961)
Live and Direct (Fantasy, 1962)
Breeze from the East (Verve, 1964)
Soul Sauce (Verve, 1965
Discography As leader
Do That Thing/Guajira (Tico, 1963)
Bobo's Beat (Roulette, 1964)
Let's Go Bobo! (Roulette, 1964)
Spanish Grease (Verve, 1965)
Uno Dos Tres 1•2•3 (Verve, 1966)
Feelin' So Good (Verve, 1967)
Juicy (Verve, 1967)
Bobo Motion (Verve, 1967)
Spanish Blues Band (Verve, 1968)
A New Dimension (Verve, 1968)
Do What You Want to Do (Sussex, 1971)
Tomorrow Is Here (Blue Note, 1977)
Hell Of An Act To Follow (Columbia, 1978)
Bobo (Columbia, 1979)
Lost & Found (Concord Picante, 2006)
Dig My Feeling (Nacional Records 2016)
With Don Wilkerson
Elder Don (Blue Note, 1962)
As sideman
With Nat Adderley
Autobiography (Atlantic, 1965)
With Dorothy Ashby
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (Atlantic, 1965)
With Bob Brookmeyer
Trombone Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962)
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1962)
With Miles Davis
Quiet Nights (Columbia, 1964)
Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967)
With Victor Feldman
Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1960)
With José Feliciano
Angela (Private Stock, 1976)
With Grant Green
The Latin Bit (Blue Note, 1962)
With Chico Hamilton
Chic Chic Chico (Impulse!, 1965)
El Chico (Impulse!, 1965)
The Further Adventures of El Chico (Impulse!, 1966)
With Slide Hampton
Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)
With Herbie Hancock
Inventions and Dimensions (Blue Note, 1964)
With Eddie Harris
Bad Luck Is All I Have (Atlantic, 1975)
With Bobby Hutcherson
Montara (Blue Note, 1975)
With Herbie Mann
Right Now (Atlantic, 1962)
Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues (United Artists, 1962)
Herbie Mann Live at Newport (Atlantic, 1963)
My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1965)
Latin Mann (Columbia, 1965)
Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)
The Beat Goes On (Atlantic, 1967)
With Les McCann
McCanna (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
Much Les (Atlantic, 1968)
With Gary McFarland
Soft Samba (Verve, 1963)
With Buddy Miles
Chapter VII (Columbia, 1973)
With Wes Montgomery
Movin' Wes (Verve, 1964)
With Oliver Nelson
Skull Session (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
With Dave Pike
Limbo Carnival (New Jazz, 1962)
Manhattan Latin (Decca, 1964)
With Tito Puente
Cuban Carnival (RCA Victor, 1956)
With Ike Quebec
Soul Samba (Blue Note, 1962)
With Terry Reid
River (Atlantic, 1973)
With Dannie Richmond
"In" Jazz for the Culture Set (Impulse!, 1965)
With Charlie Rouse
Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note, 1963)
With A. K. Salim
Afro-Soul/Drum Orgy (Prestige, 1965)
With Mongo Santamaria
Mighty Mongo (Fantasy, 1962)
Viva Mongo! (Fantasy, 1962)
With Doc Severinsen
Rhapsody For Now! (RCA, 1973)
With Sonny Stitt
Stitt Goes Latin (Roost, 1963)
With Gábor Szabó
Spellbinder (Impulse!, 1966)
With Clark Terry
Mumbles (Mainstream, 1966)
Dreams
Willie Bobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pictures in an empty room
Your love starts fallin' down
Better change your tune
Yeah, you reach for the golden ring
Reach for the sky
Baby, just spread your wings
We'll get higher and higher
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind
Run, run, run away
Like a train runnin' off the track
Got the truth bein' left behind
Falls between the cracks
Standin' on broken dreams
Never losin' sight, ah
Well just spread your wings
We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
'Cause we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Yeah, we'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
Higher and higher
Leave it all behind
Oh, we'll get higher and higher
Who knows what we'll find?
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
And in the end on dreams we will depend
'Cause that's what love is made of
The lyrics to Willie Bobo's song, "Dreams" are telling a story of hope, perseverance, and the power of dreams. The opening lyrics, "World turns black and white, Pictures in an empty room," are describing a desolate and hopeless environment, where love is lost and everything appears dull and lifeless. However, the lyrics then offer a solution, "Better change your tune, Yeah, you reach for the golden ring, Reach for the sky, Baby, just spread your wings," urging the listener to shift their perspective and reach for greatness.
The chorus, "We'll get higher and higher, Straight up we'll climb, We'll get higher and higher, Leave it all behind," is a message of encouragement, reminding the listener that they have the power to rise above their current circumstances and leave their troubles behind. The lyrics "Run, run, run away, Like a train runnin' off the track, Got the truth bein' left behind, Falls between the cracks, Standin' on broken dreams," describe the feeling of being lost and struggling to find a way out. But the chorus returns, inviting the listener to "just spread your wings" and to keep pushing forward.
The lyrics, "Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong," are an affirmation of the human spirit and the importance of perseverance. The closing line, "And in the end on dreams we will depend, 'Cause that's what love is made of," reminds us that our dreams and aspirations are what make life meaningful and fulfilling. This song is not just about chasing our dreams, but about the importance of those dreams and the role they play in the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
World turns black and white
The world seems dull and lifeless, devoid of joy and excitement.
Pictures in an empty room
The memories are fading, and there's no one to share them with.
Your love starts fallin' down
The relationship is falling apart, and love is no longer enough.
Better change your tune
You need to change your ways and adapt to the situation if you hope to succeed.
Yeah, you reach for the golden ring
You aim to achieve the highest prize, the most prized goal.
Reach for the sky
Aim higher, aim for the best and never settle for less.
Baby, just spread your wings
Embrace your true potential and take a leap of faith into the unknown.
We'll get higher and higher
As we progress, we'll only become better, stronger and more successful.
Straight up we'll climb
Our path to greatness will be swift and unyielding.
Leave it all behind
Forget about the past, let go of your inhibitions and live freely.
Run, run, run away
Escape from the bondage that's holding you back and chase what you want.
Like a train runnin' off the track
You're on the verge of destruction, but the feeling of freedom is more important than the risk.
Got the truth bein' left behind
You're leaving behind the truth and reality in pursuit of your dream.
Falls between the cracks
The truth is being forgotten because it is not a priority.
Standin' on broken dreams
The past is full of deflated dreams and promises that never materialized.
Never losin' sight, ah
Despite the setbacks, never lose focus of your goals and aspirations.
Well just spread your wings
Be brave, take risks and go after what you want with all your might.
So baby dry your eyes
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and don't let setbacks dampen your spirit.
Save all the tears you've cried
Don't waste your emotions on setbacks, save them for when you'll need them most.
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Dreams are made of perseverance, hope and the pursuit of happiness.
'Cause we belong in a world that must be strong
We must fight for our dreams in a harsh world and be strong enough to endure the obstacles.
Yeah, we'll get higher and higher
Our trajectory will only get steeper and more intense as we approach success.
Who knows what we'll find?
The reward of chasing your dream is not only realizing your goals but also discovering yourself along the way.
And in the end on dreams we will depend
In the end, all that we have will be the unrealized promises of our dreams.
'Cause that's what love is made of
The pursuit of your dreams is inspired and validated by Love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEX VAN HALEN, EDWARD VAN HALEN, SAMMY HAGAR, MICHAEL ANTHONY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fkcyber
This jewel deserves more appreciation!! (Salsa's forerunner)
Mario Caffari
A * Milestone * in Groovy Latin Music !
Good audio quality / Greetings from Switzerland
Giorgio Bianchi
AWESOME VERY LATINAMERICAN I LOVE THIS PIECE
jaime pinilla nuñez
Greatest máster, join with eddy Martínez start everything know as salsa.