Artist Profiles: Willie Colón

Trombone player, composer, and bandleader Willie Colón was one of the pioneers of modern salsa and Latin jazz.

Colón earned fifteen gold and five platinum records, and collaborated with celebrated artists such as Fania All-Stars, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, David Byrne, Celia Cruz, and Yomo Toro among others. His music, which powerfully influenced modern Latin jazz, reflected both rhythmic and traditional lyrics.

His achievements in all his activities were widely recognized. He created 40 productions, and as musician, composer, arranger, singer, and trombonist, as well as producer and director.

Born William Anthony Colón on April 28, 1950, in the Bronx, New York, and raised by his grandmother, her strong beliefs and personality, powerfully influenced his devotion to his cultural roots. Colón started playing trumpet at the age of 12, and switched to trombone two years later.

Willie Colón and Rubén Blades, the pioneers of what became known as “conscious salsa,” first encountered each other when Colón performed with his band in Blades’ native Panama in the late 1960s. Blades resumed contact with Colón when he visited New York, courtesy of a cheap flight obtained from his brother, who worked for an airline. During his stay there, he recorded De Panamá a Nuevo York (1970, Alegre Records) with the Pete “Boogaloo” Rodríguez band.

It was not until after Blades had relocated to New York at the end of 1974 (via Miami, where his family was exiled in 1973) to initially work in the Fania Records mailroom that an opportunity arose to sing and compose a track on Colón’s album The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (1975, Fania Records). The award-winning song ‘El Cazanguero’ was an indictment of repression in Latin America. The collaborations continued with the 1977 hit Metiendo Mano! on Fania. The album spawned the hit ‘Pablo Pueblo,’ regarded by Blades as “the first (salsa) song that dealt with political and social overtones.”

One of Willie Colón and Ruben Blades’ most successful collaborations was Siembra (1978). The album featured hits such as “Pedro Navaja” (a reworking of the song ‘Mack the Knife’) and “Plástico,” a call for Hispanic unity.

The controversial two-disc concept album Maestra Vida (1980) about the lives of ordinary Latin Americans mixed songs and theatrical elements. “Willie brought in his producing talent, his insight into what people like to hear and how, and his arrangement ideas,” commented Blades about their marriage of talents. “I brought in the lyrics, the stories, the understanding of the Latin American from our position, not from the North, but from our perspectives. The combination proved successful and explosive.”

Their penultimate collaboration for Fania, Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos (Songs From The Tenements Of The Bored; 1981), did not receive much airplay in New York at the time of its release. This was primarily due to deejays shying away from the opening cut ‘Tiburón’ (shark); figuratively meaning “Imperialism”, arguably the duo’s most contentious recording commenting on U.S./Latin American policy. Composed by Blades, the song led to accusations that he was a communist sympathizer and effectively alienated him from the Cuban community in Miami.

Their final collaboration released on Fania, 1982’s The Last Fight, was released in tandem with a motion picture of the same name, in which Colón and Blades starred. Ominously titled, the movie was Fania Records’ Jerry Masucci’s attempt to break into the film industry, and it flopped badly.

Colón and Blades later had a major falling out, and in fact, did not share a studio for their Grammy-nominated reunion project Tras La Tormenta (1995, Sony Tropical). They reunited in 2003 for the critically acclaimed Siembra 25th Anniversary Concert, packing Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium with 27,000 fans.

Reflecting on his early days of performing “conscious salsa” with Blades, Colón said in 1991: “that type of composition caused us a lot of trouble, so much so that at one point when we were doing Pedro Navaja and Tiburón with Blades, we had to perform in bulletproof vests.”

Colón’s album El Malo has become known as one of the first albums to feature the “New York Sound”, blending in jazz harmonies and jazz style soloing, Colón along with pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, largely defined the sound of salsa.

As a community leader, he won both local affection and national recognition. In 1991, he was awarded the Yale University’s CHUBB fellowship, a political recognition he shares with the late John F. Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, Moshe Dyane, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush to mention a few.

In November 1999 he became Dr. William A. Colón through a doctorate he received from Hartford, Connecticut’s Trinity College for The Art of Courage, a recognition given to artists who have used their art to make political change.

Through his work and positive message, he developed into a national and internationally respected sociopolitical voice and artist.

Willie Colón rolled out two singles in 2008, “Amor de Internet” and “Corazón Partido,” to promote El Malo Vol II: Prisioneros del Mambo. A decade later, he launched his 50th Anniversary Tour in 2016.

The Latin Recording Academy presented Colón with a Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2004. Colón also entered the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

Film audiences saw Colón portrayed by actor John Ortiz in the 2006 biopic El Cantante, which also features Marc Anthony as Héctor Lavoe and Jennifer López. The film chronicles Lavoe’s life and highlights his work with Colón during their peak years from the 1960s through the mid-1970s.

The International Trombone Association awarded Colón its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

Colón was also the chair of New York’s Association of Hispanic Arts.

Willie Colón died on February 21, 2026. Fania Records released the following statement on February 21, 2026: “Today we bow our heads as the world mourns the loss one of the greatest artists of our time—the incomparable Willie Colón: legendary trombonist, visionary composer, master arranger, emotive singer, bold producer, fearless director, and tireless innovator.

We are heartbroken by the passing of an icon whose sound transcended the dance floor and defined an era. A pillar of Fania Records, Willie helped bring Latin music from the streets of New York to audiences around the world. His music declared identity, pride, resistance, and joy. His music was not just heard; it was lived.

Willie Colón was born and raised in the heart of the Bronx’s vibrant Latin community. Drawing deeply from his surroundings, he channeled the rhythm of the streets, the poetry of everyday survival, the ache of teen angst, and the fierce hope of a people determined to be seen—all of which found a home in his sound. From those roots grew a profound devotion to culture, heritage, and truth. He did not simply represent his community; he amplified it.

Willie Colón’s genius announced itself early—his first contract was signed by his mother when he was just sixteen—and it never stopped evolving. From his groundbreaking debut El Malo (1967) to the raw brilliance of his unforgettable collaborations with Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades, his role in the Fania All Stars among many others, he redefined salsa—musically daring, socially conscious, and unapologetically bold. His collaborations with legends such as Celia Cruz, David Byrne, Soledad Bravo, and Ismael Miranda further revealed the breadth of his artistry and the depth of his influence.

With more than 30 million albums sold, multiple Platinum records, and 11 combined GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY nominations, Willie Colón stood among the most successful salsa artists of all time. Yet numbers cannot measure the true scale of his legacy. His Lifetime Achievement Award from The Latin Recording Academy® (2004), his induction into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame (2000) and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (2019), along with Billboard magazine’s recognition of him as one of the 30 most influential Latin Artists of All Time (2015), only begins to tell the story.

Beyond music, Willie was a voice for his community—an activist and a public servant. He understood that rhythm could move people, but also hearts—and that songs could spark change.

Today, the Fania Records, Craft Recordings and Concord family mourn the loss of a true music icon, but his echo will resonate with generations to come.”

Bruce McIntosh, VP, Latin of Catalog, Craft Recordings, contemplated Willie’s durable effect, stating, “Willie was much more than an iconic artist; he was a true visionary that forged a new genre of Latin music that we all love today called Salsa. His legacy is etched into the very soul of Latin culture. He will forever be ‘El Maestro.’”

Discography

* Guisando (Fania, 1969)
* Asalto Navideño (Fania SLPF399, 1972)
* The Big Break (Fania SLP394, 1976)
* Siembra (Fania, 1978)
* Solo (Fania, 1980)
* Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos (Fania, 1983)
* Top Secrets (Fania, 1989)
* Illegal Aliens (Fania, 1990)
* Color Americano (CBS, 1990)
* Honra y Cultura (CBS, 1991)
* El Malo (Fania, 1991)
* 49 Minutes (Fania JM00525, 1992)
* Altos Secretos (Fania, 1992)
* Corazón Guerrero (Fania, 1992)
* Deja Vu (Fania, 1992)
* El Baquine de Angelitos Negros (Fania JMCD00506, 1992)
* Last Fight (Fania, 1992)
* The Best (Sony, 1992)
* Grandes Éxitos (Fania, 1992)
* Super Éxitos (Fania, 1992)
* Hecho en Puerto Rico (Fania, 1993)
* Willie & Tito (Vaya, 1993)
* Best, Vol. 2 (Sony, 1994)
* Lo Mato (Fania, 1994)
* El Juicio (Fania LPCD00424, 1994)
* Trans la Tornenta (Sony, 1995)
* Brillantes (Sony, 1996)
* Fania All-Stars (Sony, 1997)
* Mi Gran Amor (Madacy, 1999)
* Idilio (Sony Tropical 83999, 2000)
* Best (Fania 689, 2000)
* Demasiado Corazón (Líderes Entertainment Group 950 036, 2000)
* Criollo (BMG Latin 93611, 2002)
* La Experiencia (2004)
* Colección de Oro (2005)
* OG: Original Gangster (2006)
* The Player (2007)
* La Historia: The Hit List (2007)
* El Malo Vol II: Prisioneros del Mambo (2008)
* Asalto Navideño Live/En Vivo (2008)
* La Esencia de la Fania (2008)
* Historia de la Salsa (2010)
* Selecciones Fania (2011)
* Serie Premium: Sólo Éxitos (2013)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.