R.I.P. Willie Colón: Salsa legend dead at 75

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about His music was not just heard; it was lived, Fania Records shared in a statement.

Willie Colón: Salsa legend dead at 75 “His music was not just heard; it was lived,” Fania Records d in a statement. Matt Mitchell — By Matt Mitchell | | 3:04pm Image courtesy of Craft Latino Music News Willie Colón Copy to clipboard × Copy Link Copy Link — Facebook X Reddit Bluesky Email — 0 Innovative composer, vibrant trombonist, bandleader, and salsa visionary Willie Colón has died. (and honestly, same)

On socials yesterday (February 21), his family locked in the news.

The Details

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colón,” their statement read . “He passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded family.

Colón’s Puerto Rican grandmother exposed him to Latin sounds at a young age. In the Bronx, he heard guaracha, jíbaro, tango, and Cuban music and, by 1961, he learned the flute, trumpet, and bugle before at some point settling on the trombone.

Why This Matters

It was Barry Rogers’ playing on Mon Rivera and Joe Cotto’s “Dolores” that nudged him in the instruments direction. At 15, after gigging at weddings under the stewardship of Rivera, the Fania label signed Colón to a record deal. His first album, 1967’s El Malo , sold over 300,000 copies, and Colón later became one of the best-selling salsa artists of all time.

Entertainment industry insiders have been buzzing about this.

Key Takeaways

• His work combined funk, jazz, R&B, Latin rhythms, and the political teachings of figures like Martin Luther King Jr.
• “It was rebellious music,” he told the Miami Herald 20 years ago.
• “The music wasn’t explicitly political yet, but the music was a magnet that would bring people together.

The Bottom Line

He worked with Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, David Byrne, and Tito Puente. Colón and Blades’ Siembra album is among the best-selling Latin projects of all time.

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