Willie Colon honored by Bad Bunny during São Paulo concert after musician’s death
Updated 22 February 2026 — 4: 10 p. m.
Bad Bunny paused his second concert on Saturday at Allianz Parque in São Paulo to honor willie colon, the trombonist and producer who died in the morning of 21 February 2026 in New York at 75 from respiratory complications. The moment came as fans and performers reacted to the sudden loss of one of salsa’s influential figures.
Willie Colon remembered at Allianz Parque
Before the set with his backing group Los Sobrinos, Bad Bunny spoke directly to the audience about willie colon’s contribution to Caribbean music and salsa. He offered condolences to Colón’s family and spoke of the inspiration Colón left for younger musicians keeping Caribbean rhythms alive, stressing the generational link between the late trombonist and contemporary artists on stage in São Paulo.
Bad Bunny paused his São Paulo show
The pause occurred during Bad Bunny’s second concert at Allianz Parque in the city of São Paulo. The singer addressed the crowd prior to performing with Los Sobrinos, dedicating a brief tribute to Colón and invoking the late musician’s role in the Latin music canon. Bad Bunny used the platform to wish Colón peace and to urge strength for his family.
Musical ties: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and "Nueva Yol"
Bad Bunny’s connection to Colón deepened with the album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, where Benito Martínez Ocasio makes a direct reference to the trombonist in the song "Nueva Yol. " In the track, Martinez sings a line that calls out Colón by name and notes persistence across the years. Bad Bunny also included Colón in the music video for "Nueva Yol, " further tying the two artists’ work together.
Public disagreements and later praise
The relationship between Bad Bunny and Colón was not without tension. Colón publicly criticized Bad Bunny on the social network X, questioning the veracity of the singer’s Spotify numbers when Bad Bunny became the most listened-to artist in 2025. In recent years Colón was notably vocal and controversial on X. Despite those public disputes, Colón also praised Bad Bunny’s impact, saying in Spanish that the push Bad Bunny gave to salsa and a more Puerto Rican, more Latin stance was something they needed — a move Colón called excellent.
An image post attributed to BAD BUNNY NEWS (@badbnuny2) circulated after the tribute, reflecting the immediate online reaction to the concert moment.
Bad Bunny’s onstage dedication at Allianz Parque came as news of Colón’s death — in the morning of 21 February 2026 in New York from respiratory complications — spread through the music world. Colón was 75.
Next: recovery and remembrance plans were not detailed in the material provided; what is confirmed is that the tribute took place on Saturday at Allianz Parque and that Colón’s death occurred on 21 February 2026 in New York. Further announcements on memorials or public services were unclear in the provided context.
