Willie Colón dies at 75: Bad Bunny pays tribute to salsa icon during São Paulo concert
Photo: AFP/Reuters
Bad Bunny honoured Willie Colón during his concert in São Paulo on Saturday night following confirmation of the salsa legend’s death at the age of 75.
The Puerto Rican superstar paused his performance at Allianz Parque to address the crowd after news emerged earlier in the day that Colón had died. His longtime manager, Pietro Carlos, confirmed the death, stating, “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 before. His trombone was the voice of the people.”
Speaking in Spanish to fans during the second of two headline shows in the Brazilian city on his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, Bad Bunny reflected on Colón’s legacy. “Today, one of the legends who contributed to this beautiful and legendary genre passed away,” he said in fan-recorded footage 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.”
Bad Bunny honra a Willie Colón durante su show en Brasil. 🇧🇷 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cIO0vdWJdL
Colón was widely regarded as a pioneer of salsa, recording influential tracks including “Ché Ché Colé” and “Aguanile” with Héctor Lavoe, as well as the landmark album Siembra with Rubén Blades, which became the biggest-selling salsa album of all time.
Tributes also came from across the Latin music community. Blades wrote, “Later, and with calm, I will write about Willie and his vital and important musical legacy.” Rauw Alejandro added, “Personally, your art inspired and guided me: it taught me that culture can also be modern, that creativity has no limits, that popular music can be sophisticated, and that music, when made with truth, lasts forever.”
Fania Records said in a statement, “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.”