Joe Acosta (October 31, 1950 - April 6, 2020) was a salsa piano player and one of the pioneers of Latin music in the United States in the early 1970s. Born in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Acosta migrated to New York City in 1953 and settled in East Harlem, a neighborhood with many salsa musicians. Acosta started his first band in 1969. During his tenure at MSM he also played with many of the local bands including Johnny Colon's Band (playing both trombone and piano), The TNT Band, The Latinjazzmen, and Joe Bataan.