Willie Colon, American salsa legend and iconic trombonist and composer, died on Saturday, his family said in a statement. He was 75. The cause of death was not disclosed. Now, Colon’s old social media posts supporting President Donald Trump have surfaced.
Back in 2020, Colon had tweeted about COVID pandemic, praising Trump handling of the crisis. “If Obama would have contracted COVID-19 and beat it like President Trump just did, the media would have been sobbing on air over how inspiring he is,” the post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter, read.
“President Donald J Trump; the best president the United States ever had!” he said in January this year.
“When you ignorantly compare Trump to Hitler. You dismiss the suffering and death of millions like these 3 Jews who arrived at Auschwitz on the same day. Tattooed with 10 numbers’ difference. 73 years later, the last eyewitnesses reunite. May we never forget,” Willie Colon said in another post.
Just after Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, Colon had posted a sarcastic video on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Colon’s family put out a sweet message for him. “While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever,” the family said on Colon’s Facebook page.
Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Colon became one of salsa music’s most influential figures through his innovative fusion of styles.
His music blended elements of jazz, rock, and salsa, while incorporating traditional rhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Africa. A key theme running through his work was the complex Puerto Rican experience in the United States—exploring the challenges of living as a Puerto Rican in America and highlighting the cultural contributions Puerto Ricans bring to the country.
Colon signed with Fania Records at age 15. Two years later, in 1967, he released his debut album El Malo, which sold more than 300,000 copies according to his biography on the LA Philharmonic website.
He continued releasing dozens of albums on Fania, including La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) in 1970 and El Juicio in 1972.
In 2004, Colón was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Beyond music, he was a dedicated social activist, serving as a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS and the United Nations Immigrant Foundation, and as a board member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
(With inputs from Reuters)
