Willie Colon, the Bronx 'bad boy' who helped popularize salsa, dies at 75
willie colon, the trombonist, composer and bandleader celebrated as a pioneer of urban salsa, died at 75, his family said. The family said he "partió en paz esta mañana" — he left in peace this morning — and that he was surrounded by his beloved family; they added that they grieve his loss while rejoicing in the gift of his music and the memories he created.
Hospitalization and cause listed by family
The American of Puerto Rican origin had been admitted a few days earlier to Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York, for cardiac and respiratory problems, initial information said. His family’s message emphasized that he passed at home with family nearby.
Willie Colon's early life in the South Bronx
Born William Anthony Colón Román on April 28, 1950, Colon was raised in the south Bronx by Puerto Rican parents and by his grandmother Antonia, who taught him Spanish and the cultural touchstones of Puerto Rico. A separate account dated Feb. 21 said he began performing at 15 and spent five decades onstage, describing a childhood of street music where the neighborhood rumba was a lullaby.
From trumpet to trombone and the streets to Fania
As a child he first played the trumpet before switching to the trombone, the instrument that would define his sound. He played on street corners during the late 1960s as figures such as Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and Ray Barreto were shaping the new genre. He signed with the Fania label as a teenager; Fania had been founded by Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci and served as the platform that took salsa from New York to the Caribbean and beyond.
Partnerships, albums and signature songs
Colon recorded his first album, "El malo, " in 1967 when he was 16, teaming with Héctor Lavoe to form a duo that would record 11 albums together and popularize a gritty, gangster-style aesthetic. With Lavoe he helped make hits out of "Calle Luna, calle Sol, " "Abuelita, " "Ah, ah, oh, no, " "Ghana'e, " "El día de mi suerte, " "La murga" and "Juana Peña. " The duo also released the album "Cosa Nuestra" in 1969, from which the concert staple "Che, che colé" comes.
Colon’s work extended beyond Lavoe. In 1977 he introduced Rubén Blades on the record "Metiendo mano, " and his collaborations with Blades yielded landmark recordings including "Maestra vida" and "Canciones del solar de los aburridos". Those projects marked a turn toward songs with strong political and social content. The 1978 album "Siembra, " associated with that era, became the best-selling salsa record and produced staples such as "Pedro Navaja, " "Plástico" and "Siembra. "
He also recorded with Celia Cruz and Ismael Miranda, and on the 1970s album "Asalto navideño"—the fifth album with Lavoe—he introduced the cuatro played by Yomo Toro, a move that led to a second holiday installment.
Music, politics and a complex partnership
Colon wore many hats: musician, composer, bandleader, arranger, producer and singer, and at times sought public office, running as a candidate for Congress and for the post of Defensor del Pueblo. His first composed song, "Fuego en el barrio, " addressed the turmoil of the 1960s in the Bronx, including instances when building owners burned properties to collect insurance rather than contend with Latino tenants, a reality he described in an interview.
On the personal side of his musical relationships, Colon said his association with Rubén Blades had its "highs and lows, " but that in crucial moments they stood together. The panamanian musician posted on X: "Acabo de confirmar lo que me resistÍa a creer: Willie Colón efectivamente ha fallecido. A su esposa Julia, a sus hijos, familia y seres queridos envío mi sentido pésame. "
Legacy and what comes next
In addition to classics such as "Idilio" and "Gitana, " Colon is widely credited as a creator of urban salsa who helped carry the sound of the barrio to global audiences through his records and his work with Fania. Plans for memorial services or other public events were unclear in the provided context.
