Willie Colón is a legendary trombonist, composer, bandleader, arranger, singer, actor and social activist who helped to popularize salsa music in the United States in the 1970s. His achievements as a trombonist, singer, composer, arranger, producer, have been internationally recognized. During his 50 years in the music business, his talents have earned numerous awards and a worldwide fan base exceeding 5 million followers on social media.

Born into a Puerto Rican household and raised in a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood of the Bronx, Colón was immersed in the arts and culture—and the hardships—of urban Hispanic America throughout his childhood and youth. This environment was a powerful force in shaping his career, both as a musician and as an advocate for various Hispanic causes.

His formal music education began when his grandmother gave him a trumpet and paid for lessons when he was 12. He shifted his focus to trombone at age 14, and when he was 17, he made his recording debut with El Malo (1967; “The Bad One”). The album was an early example of the New York sound, a trombone-driven movement in Latin music that fused Caribbean rhythms and arrangements with lyrical popular-music styles. Such stylistic blending would characterize Colón’s work throughout his career. El Malo also featured Colón’s first collaboration with legendary Puerto Rican vocalist Hector La Voe, a partnership that would endure through the mid-1970s and yielded numerous hit songs, including “I Wish I Had a Watermelon,” “La Murga,” “Todo Tiene Su Final,” “Juana Peña,” “Calle Luna, Calle Sol,” “Abuelita,“ “Che, Che, Cole,” “El Día De Suerte,” and many other hits.

As a songwriter he has been responsible for evergreen Latin hits among them, “Aguanile,” “Ah, Ah O No,” “Abuelita,” “La Murga,” “El Todopoderoso,” “El Malo,” “Ghana E,” “Juancito,” “No Me Llores Mas,” “Pan y Agua,” “Si La Ves,“ “Sin Poderte Hablar,” “Todo Tiene Su Final,” “Juana Peña,” “Calle Luna, Calle Sol,” “Che, Che, Cole,” "Asia," “El Dia De Suerte.”

Colón has had numerous hits as a solo artist including the Gold and Platinum Latin albums “Solo” and “Fantasmas,” included hits like “Sin Poderte Hablar.” Other huge hits as a solo artist include ”Idilio,” Talento de Televisión,” and the groundbreaking international mega-hit “El Gran Varón” among others.

He has had various collaborations throughout his career, including a number of hit albums with The Queen of Latin Music, Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz, which included the international hits “Usted Abusó,” and “Dos Jueyes” during the 70’s and 80’s. In 1978 after a number of successful albums together, singer-songwriter Rubén Blades collaborated with Colón in their album ‘Siembra’ (which became one of the most popular and biggest selling albums in the salsa genre) and “Tras La Tormenta” (1995); in the 70’s he had a featured project with Fania legends, Hector LaVoe & Yomo Toro in his perennial production ‘Asalto Navideño’ (Vol I and II); versatile Venezuelan vocalist Soledad Bravo; salsa star Ismael Miranda which included “No Me Digan Que Es Muy Tarde Ya” (1980); Puerto Rican singer Sophy in her production “Salsa en New York” (1983); and rock new wave musician David Byrne in the album ‘Rei Momo’ (1989).

Willie Colon is a ten-time Grammy nominee:

"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly by Willie Colon"Best Latin Recording - 18th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1975

"Canciones Del Solar De Los Aburidos by Willie Colon And Rubén Blades" Best Latin Recording - 25th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1982

"Corazon Guerrero by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 26th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1983

"Criollo by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 27th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1984

"Especial No. 5 by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 29th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1986

"The Winners by Celia Cruz And Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 30th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1987

"Top Secrets/Altos Secretos by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 32nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1989

"Color Americano by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 33rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1990

"Hecho En Puerto Rico by Willie Colon" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 36th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1993

"Tras La Tormenta by Willie Colon And Rubén Blades" Best Tropical Latin Performance - 38th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (Nominee) 1995

In the late 1990s Colón took a break from recording, although he continued to tour extensively throughout Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Mr. Colón has also appeared as an actor in a number of major motion pictures and TV programs in the US and South America.

Throughout his career Colón has been a champion of Hispanic political and social causes, such as those concerning immigration and the availability of affordable health care and insurance. He wove political messages into much of his music, and in 1993 he performed at Pres. Bill Clinton’s inauguration ceremonies. In addition, Colón held positions of leadership in numerous cultural and humanitarian organizations. In 2004 the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded him a Grammy for lifetime achievement. In 2016: He began his 50th Anniversary Tour to Puerto Rico, Colombia (Several Cities), New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Tampa, Mexico (Several Cities) and has broken box office records in many venues. The tour because of its success is continuing throughout 2018 and 2019.

In 2018, The Ellis Island Honor Society awarded Willie Colón the Ellis Island Medal of Honor which are presented annually to a select group of individuals whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the nation are cause for celebration. The Medal has been officially recognized by both Houses of Congress as one of our nation's most prestigious awards and is annually memorialized in the Congressional Record.

In addition in 2018, Willie Colón was awarded the "Lunas Del Auditorio Award" by El Auditorio Nacional. A recognition granted by the National Auditorium to the best live shows in Mexico , the award is a replica of the sculpture of La Luna by sculptor Juan Soriano that is outside that enclosure. This award is transmitted by Televisa, TV Azteca, Channel 22 of the Ministry of Culture and Channel Eleven of the National Polytechnic Institute.

In 2019, Willie Colón was inducted into the prestigious Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Quotes About Willie Colon:

In 2015, Billboard Magazine named “Willie Colón one of the 30 most influential Latin Artists of All Time.”

Smithsonian Books: "Willie Colón is one of the essential gods of Salsa mythology, perhaps the most essential of the entire pantheon."

New York Times: “Most rock and pop stars whose names are known in every household would be delighted with records sales of such magnitude.”

International Trombone Association: ”Willie Colón has probably done more than anyone since Tommy Dorsey to keep the trombone before the public. Stylistically they are poles apart, Dorsey representing an ultra-smooth approach, Colón a Hard-edged roughness reportedly inspired by Barry Rogers. Unfortunately, Colón's public is largely Latino, so his music and contribution have gone unnoticed or ignored by the general press"- Gerald Sloan, professor of music University of Arkansas.

John Storm Roberts: “Though the adulation given Colon's early recordings is fully justified, it has the unfortunate side-effect of blinding people to his equally fine recent recordings. Yet aside from the fact that he'd turned himself into an excellent and very individual singer, the recordings he made just before his political ambitions took over are by any measure outstanding.”

AllAboutJazz. com: "Colón was to the history of Latin music what Don Drummond was to Jamaican ska and J.J. Johnson was to jazz."

Village Voice: “Willie is a gifted producer… a talent on the order of Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder… his music moves with Ellingtonian swing and grace.”