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
Bad Bunny le rinde homenaje a Willie Colón esta noche en su concierto en Brasil
pic.twitter.com/MbxbDKw5h0
— BAD BUNNY DAILY UPDATES (@keiveiec) February 22, 2026
“It’s the influence of all of us who grew up listening to salsa in the Caribbean. Today, one of the great legends who contributed to this beautiful genre passed away,” he said, before launching into ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos‘ song ‘NUEVAYoL’.
The track name-checks the late artist with a line that references his 1967 album ‘El Malo’: “Willie Colón, me dicen el malo, ey. Porque pasan los años y sigo dando palo,” which translates to “Willie Colón, they say I’m bad, because the years come and I’m still hitting.”
Referencing his live band, Bad Bunny continued: “From me and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón rests in 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.”
Per Rolling Stone, some fans pointed out that the late music legend appeared to express right-wing views later in life, with his social media presence across Instagram and X including criticism of Bad Bunny, who riled the American right-wing with his defiant Spanish language performance at the Super Bowl earlier this month.
However, upon the release of ‘NUEVAYoL’, Colón responded warmly, saying in a social media video: “When I heard it, I was really surprised. The push it gave to salsa and to Boricuas, it’s something we all needed.”
Colón is survived by his wife, Julia Craig, and their children.
The post Bad Bunny leads tributes to late salsa legend Willie Colón, who has died aged 75 appeared first on NME.
