Willie Colón, the American salsa musician who helped define New York’s Nuyorican sound and co-created socially conscious hits including “Pedro Navaja,” died February 21, 2026. He was 75. His family and manager confirmed his death on social media. The cause of death was undisclosed.
Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Colón broke out as a teenager after signing with Fania Records. He released his debut album, El Malo, in 1967 and went on to record more than 40 albums, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. He became a central bandleader of the Fania era, with major collaborations that included Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades.
Colón’s biggest global milestone came with the 1978 album Siembra, created with Blades and widely cited as one of the best-selling salsa albums of all time. His work pushed salsa toward urban New York storytelling and direct social commentary, helping the music travel beyond dance floors and into broader conversations across the Americas.
Beyond recording and touring, Colón acted in films including Vigilante and The Last Fight, and he earned the Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award (reported as 2004). In 1995, he became the first person of color to serve on the ASCAP national board, extending his influence from the bandstand to music-industry leadership.