Willie Colon honored by Bad Bunny at São Paulo show after musician’s death
Bad Bunny paused his second concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo on Saturday to honor the legacy of willie colon, who died in the morning of February 21, 2026 from respiratory complications in New York at age 75. The moment underscored Colón’s reach across salsa and prompted a public tribute in front of the star’s live audience.
Bad Bunny stops second São Paulo concert at Allianz Parque to pay tribute to Willie Colon
At his second show on Saturday at the Allianz Parque stadium in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, Bad Bunny made a pause to honor the late musician Willie Colón. The pause came after news that Colón had passed away earlier that morning on February 21, 2026, a death attributed to respiratory complications in New York. The tribute was delivered prior to several performances that night.
Death in New York: respiratory complications and age 75
Willie Colón died in the morning of February 21, 2026 in New York from respiratory complications, and he was 75 years old. The announcement of his passing prompted reactions from artists and musicians around the world who carry the clave salsera.
Tribute during the set with Los Sobrinos and Bad Bunny’s words
Before the pieces he performs with the group Los Sobrinos, who accompany him on tour, Bad Bunny dedicated words to the Puerto Rican trombonist. He framed the loss for those who grew up in the Caribbean listening to salsa and offered strength to Colón’s family: “Especialmente para nosotros los que crecimos en el Caribe escuchando salsa... Hoy se fue una de las leyendas que aportó a este género tan hermoso y tan legendario. Así que, de parte mía y de Los Sobrinos, le deseamos que descanse en paz a Willie Colon. Mucha fortaleza a su familia. La inspiración de muchos de estos grandes músicos que dejaron en la tierra no va a morir nunca mientras sigan existiendo jóvenes talentosos como estos que están aquí, manteniendo la música y la salsa y todos los ritmos caribeños vivos. ”
Shared history on "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS", "Nueva Yol" and the video
Bad Bunny’s relationship with the producer and trombonist deepened around the successful album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, ” where Benito Martínez Ocasio mentions the trombonist in the song “Nueva Yol. ” The song includes the lyric: “Willie Colón, me dicen el malo / ey / porque pasan los años y sigo dando palos. ” Bad Bunny also integrated who had been the musical partner of Rubén Blades and Héctor Lavoe in the video for the hit “Nueva Yol. ” The shared projects tied Colón and Benito Martínez Ocasio across generations of Latin music.
Tension on social media and later public praise from Colón
The relationship between the two was not always cordial: Colón publicly criticized Bad Bunny on the social network X (formerly Twitter) by questioning the veracity of Bad Bunny’s numbers on Spotify when the Puerto Rican artist became the most-listened performer in 2025. In recent years, Colón was vocal and controversial on that social network. Despite earlier critiques, Colón himself publicly acknowledged Bad Bunny’s contemporary role in salsa, saying: “Es algo que todos necesitábamos, el empuje que le dio a la salsa, le dio al boricua y tomar una posición más puertorriqueña y más latina, eso lo necesitábamos. Es una movida excelente. ”
Legacy and reaction inside the concert
The pause at Allianz Parque made clear that the death of Willie Colón resonated with performers and audiences alike. Bad Bunny’s onstage dedication, the presence of Los Sobrinos in the set, the musical links on “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” and the inclusion of Colón in the “Nueva Yol” video all framed a public moment of remembrance on Saturday in São Paulo.
