Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.
It feels strange to place the names of Willie Colón and former Prince Andrew side by side in a single title. Colón is mentioned in light of his recent passing and his legacy as a pioneer of traditional salsa music. Andrew, by contrast, remains a disgraced member of the Royal Family because of his association with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a story that continues to dominate headlines.
However, a recent piece published by UnHerd introduces a significant caveat regarding Andrew’s presumed guilt – one that, if persuasive, could complicate what many believe to be a settled narrative.
Willie Colón, trombonist who pioneered salsa music, dies aged 75
– Article Nardine Saad at BBC News
It’s with the sad passing of Willie Colón, I reflect on an article I wrote in 2024 about one of Willie Colón’s classics called ‘Sin Poderte Hablar’ (Eng. Without Being Able to Speak To You). How he blended classic salsa (by its rich rhythmic foundation) and Western pop sensibilities reminiscent of the kitsch ’60’s city sounds of Petula Clark’s Downtown, a ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’ Sally’s Tomato or Burt Bacharach. The slight crossover feel or ‘fusion’ between traditional and modern (salsa romántica at least lyrically), and latino and western music enabled it to gain mainstream attention amongst American and Latin audiences at the same time.
Scoop (2024) – Philip Martin (Friday’s Finest)
– Netflix movie about former Prince Andrew’s infamous interview with the BBC
Following the recent news of Andrew being taken into custody by authorities, I thought it timely to resurface a Friday’s Finest piece I wrote in April 2024 about the Netflix film that superbly reenacts how the BBC secured its now-infamous interview with Prince Andrew.
The film revisits that extraordinary exchange and casts light on his guarded relationship with the late and convicted sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Within that article I wrote:
I recall in my adolescent years seeing Prince Andrew, Duke of York in his naval uniform and reading about him being a hero in the Falklands war as a helicopter pilot. I couldn’t help but look up to him; he seemed the epitome of a gentlemen with an outstanding career, beautiful wife and family. How perceptions can be deceiving. Below is the article:
So this brings us to this recent video published by the British news and opinion platform – UnHerd, who – to be honest – haven’t let much slip past them or, in my view, gotten much wrong since COVID struck.
In my modest estimation, they are among the more reliable news sources on sensitive and polemical topics that I’ve come across, particularly at a time when sections of the Western media have repeatedly been accused of selective reporting and agenda-driven framing.
In their interview below, journalist Michael Tracey argues that Andrew has effectively been made a scapegoat and that there is no conclusive evidence proving criminal guilt, noting that Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally convicted. Tracey suggests that Andrew was effectively cast aside by the Royal Family in order to protect the institution.
He presents a forceful case for Andrew’s innocence, pushing back against the sustained wave of media outrage that has shaped public perception over the past several years, including my own.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
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