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\n\tThe world is mourning the loss of Willie Col\u00f3n<\/a>, who died Saturday at the age of 75<\/a>. Since the announcement of the Nuyorican icon\u2019s death, musicians have shared tributes to one of the greatest salsa artists of all time. From his contemporaries including Rub\u00e9n Blades to acts that he\u2019s inspired, such as Rauw Alejandro<\/a> and Elvis Crespo, condolences are pouring in.<\/p>\n \n\tCol\u00f3n\u2019s family confirmed the death of the salsa giant, who was behind seminal classics in the genre such as 1967\u2019s El Malo<\/em> with H\u00e9ctor Lavoe and 1978\u2019s Siembra<\/em><\/a> with Rub\u00e9n Blades. The latter album landed at Number One on Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2019s Best Salsa Albums list and became the best-selling salsa album of all time, a distinction it held for decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tOn Instagram, Blades shared a short message for now and promised to expand on his longtime friendship with Col\u00f3n in a future statement. He wrote, \u201cWhat I was reluctant to believe: Willie Col\u00f3n has indeed passed away. I send my deepest condolences to his wife Julia, his children, family, and loved ones. I will write more about Willie and his vital and important musical legacy later when I calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAnother of Col\u00f3n\u2019s frequent collaborators was the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz<\/a>, who died in 2003. One of their most beloved collaborative efforts was 1981\u2019s Celia & Willie<\/em>. In a statement, Cruz\u2019s estate shared, \u201cWe will always treasure the magical moments that Willie and Celia shared, both on stage and in the studio. As the title of their iconic album together so aptly put it: \u2018Only they could have made this album.\u2019 Farewell, Willie. Your legacy and your music will resonate for eternity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n