Pioneering trombonist Willie Colón has died aged 75, with Bad Bunny among those paying tribute.
His family shared the news on Saturday (February 21), writing on Colón’s Facebook page: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and renowned musician, Willie Colón. He passed away peacefully this morning surrounded by his beloved family.
“While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever,” the post continued. A cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
With more than 30million records sold, Colón is among the most successful salsa artists of all time, with his sound drawing from jazz, rock and salsa, as well as traditional music from across Cuba, Brazil, Africa and Puerto Rico.
His longtime manager Pietro Carlos reflected on his legacy with a post on Facebook, saying Colón didn’t “just change salsa”, but “expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles and took it to stages where it hadn’t been before. His trombone was the voice of the people.”
Bad Bunny joined him in paying tribute at his latest ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos‘ world tour stop in São Paulo last night, telling the crowd: “This music is very special.”
Palabras de Bad Bunny sobre el fallecimiento de Willie Colón. pic.twitter.com/4aXBEuD8xm
— Bad Bunny HQ (@BBPRTV) February 22, 2026
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