Willie Colón, Pioneering Salsa Trombonist, Dies at 75
Pitchfork • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Willie Colón, a pioneering trombonist, bandleader, and composer instrumental in shaping salsa music, has died at age 75, with his family confirming his peaceful passing on February 21.
- Born in The Bronx in 1950 and raised by his Puerto Rican grandmother, Colón began playing music at age 11 and signed with Fania Records at 17, helping develop salsa by blending Latin rhythms with funk, jazz, and R&B.
- Colón's collaborations with Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades produced iconic albums like "El Malo" and "Siembra," the latter becoming the best-selling Latin album for decades; he earned 11 Grammy nominations and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording
