music
February 22, 2026
This is the story of Willie Colón with La Fania, the label of the salsa stars
The world was shaken this Saturday, February 21, upon learning that 'El Malo del Bronx', Willie Colón, passed away at the age of 75.
TL;DR
- Willie Colón, 'El Malo del Bronx', died at 75.
- His family expressed sorrow but also joy in his musical legacy.
- Colón, born in New York in 1950, became famous with La Fania Records in the late 1960s.
- La Fania Records, founded in 1964, was instrumental in shaping the salsa genre.
- Colón's successful albums include 'El Malo' (1967), 'La Gran Fuga' (1970), and 'Siembra' (1978), the latter becoming the best-selling salsa album ever.
- La Fania All-Stars featured renowned artists like Celia Cruz and Cheo Feliciano.
- The genre's boom between 1971 and 1976 spread salsa globally.
- By the late 1980s, La Fania had produced over 1,000 albums and 7,000 compositions.