Willie Colón, architect of urban salsa music, dead at 75

Willie Colón, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa and a prominent social activist, died Saturday at 75. Over a decades-long career the trombonist, composer, arranger and singer produced more than 40 albums that sold more than 30 million copies and collaborated with artists including the Fania All Stars, David Byrne and Celia Cruz.

His celebrated collaboration with Rubén Blades, Siembra, became one of the bestselling salsa albums of all time, and the pair were known for addressing social issues through the genre. Colón’s family and manager confirmed his death via social media; manager Pietro Carlos wrote, "Willie didn’t just change salsa; he expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles, and took it to stages where it hadn’t been heard before.

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