Willie Colon dies at 75; Bad Bunny pauses São Paulo show — willie colon
willie colon died in the morning hours of 21 February 2026; the news prompted Bad Bunny to pause his second concert at Allianz Parque in São Paulo on Saturday to honor the trombonist’s legacy. The moment underscored the crossover between salsa and contemporary urban music at a time when Colón’s passing has reverberated across artists who carry the salsa clave worldwide.
Bad Bunny halted his second Allianz Parque concert to honor Willie Colon
At his second concert in the stadium Allianz Parque in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, Bad Bunny made a pause on Saturday to pay tribute to Willie Colón. The Puerto Rican star spoke to the crowd before the segments performed with the group Los Sobrinos, who accompany Bad Bunny at his concerts, and dedicated words to the Puerto Rican trombonist.
Details of Willie Colón’s death and age
Willie Colón died in the morning hours of 21 February 2026 at age 75. The cause of death was complications respiratory (complicaciones respiratorias) in New York. The article updating these facts was marked Updated Feb. 22, 2026 — 4: 10 PM ET.
Bad Bunny’s onstage remarks and the Spanish tribute
Before the performances with Los Sobrinos, Bad Bunny addressed the audience with words that framed Colón as a formative figure for Caribbean listeners. He said: “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”.
Musical ties: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, “Nueva Yol” and Colón’s collaborators
Bad Bunny’s relationship with the producer and trombonist deepened around the successful album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, where Benito Martínez Ocasio makes direct mention of the trombonist in the song “Nueva Yol. ” The lyrics include the line: “Willie Colón, me dicen el malo / ey / porque pasan los años y sigo dando palos. ” Bad Bunny also integrated the musician — who was the musical partner of Rubén Blades and of Héctor Lavoe — in the video for “Nueva Yol. ”
Public tensions on X and later recognition of Bad Bunny’s impact
The relationship between Bad Bunny and Colón was not always cordial. In recent years Colón used the social network X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the Puerto Rican star, questioning the veracity of Bad Bunny’s numbers on Spotify when he once again became the most listened artist in 2025. Colón was described as vocal and controversial in expressing his ideas on that social network.
Colón’s own praise for Bad Bunny’s contribution to salsa
Despite past public criticisms, the interpreter of “Idilio” publicly acknowledged Bad Bunny’s contribution to the genre. Colón said: “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. ” That recognition and the onstage tribute in São Paulo marked how Colón’s death intersected with contemporary artists who have brought salsa and Caribbean rhythms to new audiences.
