"Over his decades-long career, the trombonist, composer, arranger and singer produced more than 40 albums that sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. He collaborated with a wide range of artists, including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz. His celebrated collaboration with Ruben Blades, Siembra, became one of the bestselling salsa albums of all time, and the pair were known for addressing social issues through the genre."
"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, manager Pietro Carlos wrote. His trombone was the voice of the people, an echo of the Caribbean in New York, a bridge between two cultures. Colon, who was nominated for 10 Grammys and one Latin Grammy, made famous songs such as El gran varon, Sin poderte hablar, Casanova, Amor verdad and Oh, que sera."
Willie Colón died Saturday at 75. He was a Grammy-nominated trombonist, composer, arranger and singer who produced more than 40 albums and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. He collaborated with artists including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz. His collaboration with Rubén Blades, Siembra, became one of the bestselling salsa albums and used the genre to address social issues. Manager Pietro Carlos said Colon expanded and politicized salsa and made the trombone a voice of the people. Colon earned 10 Grammy nominations and one Latin Grammy nomination and popularized songs like El gran varon and Sin poderte hablar. Born in the Bronx, he began music at age 11.
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