American salsa legend Willie Colon, a pioneering trombonist, singer and composer, died Saturday at the age of 75, his family said in a statement.
“While we mourn his loss, we will cherish the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever,” family members said on Colon’s Facebook page.
The cause of death was not revealed.
Born to Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, New York City, Colon recorded dozens of albums, including La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) in 1970 and El Jucio in 1972, according to Fania Records, a label promoting salsa music.
He signed with Fania at age 15 and two years later, in 1967, released his first album, El Malo, which sold more than 300,000 copies, according to his biography on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s website.
The biography states that Colon’s music combined elements of jazz, rock and salsa, incorporating the rhythms of traditional music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Africa.
“An important aspect of Colón’s music — which draws from many cultures and many different styles — is the exploration of competing associations that Puerto Ricans have with their home and with the United States,” it said.
“He uses his songs to portray and investigate the issues of living in the US as a Puerto Rican and to represent the cultural contribution that Puerto Ricans make.”
In 2004, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
A longtime social activist, Colon is a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and a board member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, according to a biography.
