"Willie Colón, the Bronx-born trombonist who helped rewrite the sound of salsa, died Saturday at 75, his family announced. With a blast of brass and streetwise storytelling, Colón pushed New York's Puerto Rican sound from crowded neighborhood dance floors to stages around the world. Over more than six decades, he turned out a run of landmark records and became as widely recognized for civic advocacy as for his music."
"Born William Anthony Colón Román on April 28, 1950, in the South Bronx, Colón signed with Fania Records as a teenager and quickly became central to the raw, trombone-forward sound that would define salsa. His early collaborations with Héctor Lavoe, starting with 1967's El Malo, fused punchy horn lines with barrio narratives in a way that felt both urgent and unmistakably New York, as reported by the Los Angeles Times."
Willie Colón died at 75, departing peacefully surrounded by family; his relatives confirmed the death on his official social accounts and funeral details have not been released. Born William Anthony Colón Román on April 28, 1950, in the South Bronx, he signed with Fania Records as a teenager and helped define a raw, trombone-forward salsa sound. Early collaborations with Héctor Lavoe beginning with 1967's El Malo fused punchy horn lines with barrio narratives. His late-1970s partnership with Rubén Blades produced Siembra, a milestone album combining sharp social commentary with powerful rhythms. Colón produced, arranged, and engaged in civic advocacy for Latino causes.
Read at Hoodline
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]