New York-born Puerto Rican trombonist, singer, bandleader and exponent of salsa credited with nearly 40 albums
In the late 1960s, a fresh Latin music style blasted out from New York City, spurred on by an adventurous new record label. Salsa was a blend of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences, fused with R&B and jazz, and the finest salsa exponents recorded for Fania Records. The Nuyorican (New York-born Puerto Rican) trombonist, singer and bandleader Willie Colón, who has died of respiratory issues aged 75, played a key role in promoting and transforming the new style, and went on to sell more than 30m albums. Siembra, his 1978 collaboration with the Panamanian singer-songwrter Rubén Blades, was one of the most adventurous and successful albums in the history of salsa, selling more than 3m copies.
Fania Records was founded in New York in 1964 by Johnny Pacheco, a celebrated bandleader and flautist from the Dominican Republic, and Jerry Masucci, a former divorce lawyer. They knew their market and proved expert in recognising new talent. Colón was signed to Fania when he was 15, and on the advice of Pacheco he teamed up with the singer Héctor Lavoe. Their first album, El Malo (1967), was a hit, selling more than 300,000 copies, helped by astute marketing.