Willie Colón, Salsa Legend, Dies at 75

“Willie Colón me dicen El Malo, porque pasan los años y sigo dando palos” (Willie Colón they call me The Bad One, because years pass and I keep swinging), sang Bad Bunny in his song Nueva Yol during the Super Bowl halftime show, paying tribute to the Puerto Rican musician who this Saturday, February 21st passed away at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York, at 75, surrounded by his family.

The urban artist’s tribute was, perhaps, the last public mention of a living legend: Willie Colón, the trombonist, composer, arranger and producer who revolutionized salsa from the streets of the Bronx and left a legacy of over 60 years of career, more than 30 albums, 9 Gold Records, 5 Platinum Records and over 30 million copies sold worldwide.

From El Malo to Legend: The Early Steps

William Anthony Colón Román was born on April 28, 1950 in the Bronx, New York, son of Puerto Rican immigrants. Raised by his grandmother, Antonia Román Pintor —whom he called “jibarita de Manatí”— he grew up hearing a warning that would mark his life: “Don’t forget that you are Puerto Rican.”

It was that same grandmother who gave him his first trumpet when he was 11 years old. He learned clarinet, but it was the trombone that would make him a world-renowned master.

At 16, Willie signed with Fania Records, becoming the third artist of the legendary label that would consolidate salsa as a global genre. His first album with Héctor Lavoe, El Malo (1967), was a resounding success and marked the beginning of one of the most influential duos in Latin music.

With songs like Calle Luna, Calle Sol, CheChe Colé and El día de mi suerte, Colón and Lavoe defined the sound of salsa in the seventies: raw, urban, Afro-Caribbean and deeply New York.

Four Albums with Celia Cruz: The Bridge to Cuba

Willie Colón’s connection with Cuba was not only musical but deeply human. He recorded no less than four albums with Celia Cruz, the undisputed queen of salsa and Cuban son. From those collaborations came gems that continue to play at any Latin party around the world.

Additionally, his version of Idilio —composed by Puerto Rican Alberto “Titi” Amadeo— was popularized in Cuba in the nineties by Laito Sureda, former singer of Sonora Matancera. That’s the kind of invisible bond that ties Willie Colón to the island forever.

Siembra with Rubén Blades: Fania’s Best-Selling Album

In the late seventies, Willie Colón formed another historic duo with Panamanian Rubén Blades. Together they signed fundamental albums like Metiendo mano (1977) and the monumental Siembra (1978), considered the best-selling album in Fania Records history with over 3 million copies sold worldwide.

Pedro Navaja, the centerpiece of Siembra, is a seven-minute existentialist story narrating the life and death of a Latino gangster in New York. Rolling Stone ranks it number one on its list of the 50 best salsa albums of all time.

Blades reacted to news of his death with a deeply emotional message on X: “I just confirmed what I was reluctant to believe: Willie Colón has indeed passed away. To his wife Julia, his children, family and loved ones I send my heartfelt condolences”.

El gran varón: Pioneering LGBTQ Themes

In 1989, Colón released El gran varón, by Omar Alfanno, one of the first Latin music songs to openly address HIV/AIDS and gender identity. The song tells the story of a father who rejects his gay son and then mourns him when he dies of AIDS. It was revolutionary for its time and remains a milestone in Latin music.

Puerto Rico in His Heart, The Bronx in His Veins

Though Willie Colón was born in New York and was considered a nuyorican (New York Puerto Rican), his connection with Puerto Rico was profound. His album Hecho en Puerto Rico (Made in Puerto Rico) made clear his love for his ancestors’ island.

He grew up in an era of racial segregation in the United States. In the 50s and 60s, Willie suffered discrimination for being Latino. “Back then they’d hit you with a bat or kicks. Discrimination was practically legal,” he recalled in a 2013 interview with Efe.

That experience of exclusion —being called a “foreigner” in his own country— marked him deeply. His grandmother, who died at 91 without knowing English, taught him the meaning of unconditional love and Puerto Rican dignity.

Willie Colón’s Legacy

Willie Colón was more than a musician: he was a salsa pioneer, an architect of the sound that fused Cuban son, Puerto Rican bomba and New York jazz into a genre that conquered the world.

His influence extends beyond music. As a political activist, Colón defended the rights of Latinos in the United States and supported social causes in Puerto Rico and Latin America.

In 2021 he suffered a serious car accident with his wife, Julia, in North Carolina, from which he never fully recovered. He was hospitalized days earlier at Lawrence Hospital for cardiac and respiratory complications, where he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.

Farewell to Maestro Willie

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and renowned musician, Willie Colón. He departed peacefully this morning, surrounded by his beloved family. While we mourn his absence, we also rejoice in the eternal gift of his music and the cherished memories he created, which will live on forever,” his family said in a statement.

Singer Elvis Crespo wrote on social media: “Today the trombones of the Bronx inspire my gratitude to God and life for allowing me to hear the genius of an artist who communicated through his creativity and sensitivity. His influence is embedded in my brain and in my heart.”

Salsa loses one of its giants. But Willie Colón’s music —vibrant, rebellious, emotional— will continue to play at dances, homes and hearts around the world.

Small but brave, like the zunzún. Thank you, Willie. 🎺