music
February 22, 2026
The day Willie Colón was arrested with his orchestra in Medellín; the experience even inspired a song
The death of Willie Colón this Saturday at 75 years old has his followers and salsa lovers replaying his songs over and over to...
TL;DR
- Willie Colón died at age 75.
- In 1985, Colón and his orchestra were arrested in Medellín, Colombia.
- The arrest followed the cancellation of a concert due to a dispute over payment with promoters.
- Colón and his 13 musicians were detained for two days in the Belén police station.
- The incident was documented by EL COLOMBIANO newspaper.
- Colón shared a photo of his cell in Medellín from 1985 on his X account.
- The experience inspired Colón to compose the song "Especial No. 5."
- The song's title refers to the number of the cell where he was held.
- Colón was a frequent visitor to Medellín, with his last performance in August 2019.