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12 hours agoWillie Colon Dead at 75 - Bronx Mourns Salsa Icon
Willie Colón, Bronx-born trombonist and civic advocate who reshaped salsa, died at 75, leaving a lasting global musical and community legacy.
The New York City trombonist and bandleader was a key part of Latin music's evolution during the 1970s. He was born in the Bronx in 1950 but had direct ties to Puerto Rico, thanks to grandparents who still lived on the island. As a young teenager Colon was soaking up popular music of the 1960s: R&B, rock, jazz and Puerto Rican folk music, which he heard while visiting his extended family during the summer. He started playing trumpet at age 12 then switched to trombone.