Willie Colón has passed away as the world of Latin American music loses one of its most prominent figures.
Colón — a Grammy-winning trombonist, composer, and producer, who pioneered the “New York Salsa” sound in the late ‘60s — died on Saturday, February 21, at the age of 75. His publicist, Pietro Carlos, announced the news in a Facebook post, writing, “Willie didn’t just change salsa; he expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles, and took it to stages where it hadn’t been heard before. His trombone was the voice of the people, an echo of the Caribbean in New York, a bridge between cultures.”
Tributes came pouring in to honour Colón. Later that day, Bad Bunny took a moment of silence during his São Paulo concert at Allianz Parque. “Today, one of the legends who contributed to this beautiful and legendary genre passed away,” the Puerto Rican superstar told the crowd in Spanish, according to fan-shot video shared online.
“So, on behalf of myself and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón peace. Much strength to his family. The inspiration of so many of these great musicians who left their mark on this earth will never die as long as there are talented young people like those here, keeping the music, salsa and all Caribbean rhythms alive.”
Did Willie Colon mock Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show?
Shortly after Bad Bunny’s tribute, online speculation swirled that Colón had recently mocked Bad Bunny’s record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show performance. Fans uncovered a series of social media reposts by Colón, undermining the hype around the halftime show.
“THE BEST HALFTIME SHOW OF ALL TIME?” Colón captioned one post.
In another post, Colón highlighted that Bad Bunny’s idea to shout out all countries of the Americas, including Latin America, was not new. “The call for countries to play a role was something I did in the 1980s. It’s not a new idea.”
In yet another post, Colón agreed with the original content creator that “the NFL made a mistake” with Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
Despite the shade, Colón previously made a cameo in Bad Bunny’s music video for his 2025 song, NUEVAYoL.
Willie Colon cause of death
Willie Colón’s official cause of death has not yet been confirmed. However, the musician was recently admitted to NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester hospital in Bronxville, N.Y., on Tuesday with respiratory problems, according to The Los Angeles Times.
