Rubén Blades, Rauw Alejandro, More Honor Salsa Giant Willie Colón: ‘Maestro, Thank You for Your Legacy’

The world is mourning the Nuyorican icon, including his collaborators and those who have been inspired by him In Memoriam Rubén Blades, Rauw Alejandro, More Honor Salsa Giant Willie Colón: ‘Maestro, Thank You for Your Legacy’ The world is mourning the Nuyorican icon, including his collaborators and those who have been inspired by him By Lucas Villa Lucas Villa Inside Café Tacvba’s Fight to Get Their Music off Spotify Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Selena’s Father and Manager, Dead at 86 The Best, Worst, and Most Surprising Moments of the Latin Grammys View all posts by Lucas Villa February 21, 2026 1983: Portrait of Latin composer Willie Colon. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images The world is mourning the loss of Willie Colón, who died Saturday at the age of 75. Since the announcement of the Nuyorican icon’s death, musicians have shared tributes to one of the greatest salsa artists of all time. From his contemporaries including Rubén Blades to acts that he’s inspired, such as Rauw Alejandro and Elvis Crespo, condolences are pouring in. Colón’s family confirmed the death of the salsa giant, who was behind seminal classics in the genre such as 1967’s El Malo with Héctor Lavoe and 1978’s Siembra with Rubén Blades. The latter album landed at Number One on Rolling Stone’s Best Salsa Albums list and became the best-selling salsa album of all time, a distinction it held for decades. On Instagram, Blades shared a short message for now and promised to expand on his longtime friendship with Colón in a future statement. He wrote, “What I was reluctant to believe: Willie Colón has indeed passed away. I send my deepest condolences to his wife Julia, his children, family, and loved ones. I will write more about Willie and his vital and important musical legacy later when I calm down.” View this post on Instagram Another of Colón’s frequent collaborators was the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, who died in 2003. One of their most beloved collaborative efforts was 1981’s Celia & Willie. In a statement, Cruz’s estate shared, “We will always treasure the magical moments that Willie and Celia shared, both on stage and in the studio. As the title of their iconic album together so aptly put it: ‘Only they could have made this album.’ Farewell, Willie. Your legacy and your music will resonate for eternity.” Marc Anthony, who remade several of Colón and Lavoe’s classics for the 2007 soundtrack El Cantante, wrote in his Instagram stories, “Maestro, thank you for your legacy. Your music lives on forever. R.I.P. Willie.” Trending Stories Conan O'Brien Breaks Silence on Rob Reiner's Murder After Director Attended His Holiday Party: 'I Was in Shock'