“I join many New Yorkers in marking the passing of Gilberto ‘Joe Cuba’ Calderon, the ‘Father of Boogaloo,’ whose groundbreaking music has thrilled New Yorkers for more than 50 years. A native of Spanish Harlem, Joe Cuba was the first to fuse Latin and R&B sounds together in a kind of musical manifestation of New York City itself. I have always believed that New York is unique among the world’s great cities because of the incredible blend of diversity found in our neighborhoods, and you can hear the richness of that diversity in Joe Cuba’s music. His influence will live on in the new sounds that are pioneered in our City and around the world. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones as they mourn his passing and celebrate his life.”