\u2018Che Che Col\u00e9\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"(](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-1.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Bill Tompkins\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe precise moment in time when Col\u00f3n begins to take salsa into uncharted territory: he adapts a children\u2019s song from Ghana into an urban mega-hit. Funky, rambunctious, deliciously rough, it offers the perfect setting for H\u00e9ctor Lavoe\u2019s throaty vocals to shine. No wonder the older generation felt threatened by this young pair of musical outlaws.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\n\u2018La Murga\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"UNITED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-rollingstone-2022\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
![\"UNITED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-2.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brigitte Engl\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tFor Asalto Navide\u00f1o<\/em>, the most transcendent Latin Christmas album of all time, Col\u00f3n and Lavoe enlisted the authentic touch of boricua folk master Yomo Toro on the cuatro<\/em>. A celebration of Panamanian folk, \u201cLa Murga\u201d became legendary for the ragged propulsion of its trombone riffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Cua Cua Ra, Cua Cua\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"UNITED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-3.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brigitte Engl\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n and Lavoe toured and recorded incessantly during the first half of the Seventies, and their music became increasingly cosmopolitan, always searching for a bigger scope. By the time he recorded The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<\/em> with Lavoe, Rub\u00e9n Blades and Yomo Toro, Col\u00f3n\u2019s tropical blend included rock, funk and the sounds of Brazil. He sings lead on this lovely Baden Powell cover, his casual interpretation evoking mischief and longing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Peri\u00f3dico de Ayer\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"SAN](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-4.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: GV Cruz\/WireImage\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n was instrumental in cementing the progressive salsa sound of the late Seventies, and his production work on Lavoe\u2019s initial solo outings gave him the chance to dream big. He reportedly hired a string section out of his own pocket for this Tite Curet Alonso gem, generating a soulful interplay between strings and brass. It may have emerged from the barrios of New York City \u2014 but at this juncture, salsa sounded as imperial as a classical symphony.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\n\u2018Pedro Navaja\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"1983:](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-5.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe appearance of Panamanian prodigy Rub\u00e9n Blades on the New York salsa scene gave Col\u00f3n the opportunity to collaborate with a songwriter of unparalleled poetic reach. An ideological manifesto, Siembra <\/em>also signified the aesthetic peak of the salsa revolution \u2014 with \u201cPedro Navaja\u201d its undisputed anthem. Col\u00f3n\u2019s sweet trombone layers frame the brainy references to Kafka and Bertolt Brecht, plus Blades\u2019 irresistible existential sarcasm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Oh Qu\u00e9 Ser\u00e1?\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"UNSPECIFIED](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-6.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe devastating breakup of Col\u00f3n\u2019s partnership with Lavoe allowed him to develop an exquisite new sound as a solo artist: having rewritten the salsa rulebook with sterling commercial results, he was now emboldened to walk closer to the edge. This grand cover of the 1976 hit by Brazilian master Chico Buarque is laced with lush female choruses and an epic string section. This is where the salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> sound begins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Gitana\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"WASHINGTON](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-7.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brendan Hoffman\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n never hid his natural proclivity for melodrama \u2014 in fact, he showed it off wrapped up in a luxurious wall-of-sound. A cover of a Spanish song by singer\/guitarist Manzanita, \u201cGitana\u201d places him on the brink of Latin pop affectation, with theatrical accents on the flute and violin. To his credit, the clave<\/em> remains rock solid throughout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018El Gran Var\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"MIAMI,](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-8.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Johnny Louis\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tWhile most of the salsa giants experienced some form of creative exhaustion during the late Nineties, Col\u00f3n continued to push the envelope. His last album for the Fania label, Top Secrets<\/em> included this thoughtful Omar Alfanno composition that touches on transphobia, the AIDS epidemic and the patriarchal venom that destroyed many a life in 20th century Latin America. The elaborate salsa sinf\u00f3nica<\/em> backdrop adds an extra layer of poignancy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Idilio\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"SAN](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-9.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Gladys Vega\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tEvery icon deserves a late-career smash, and Col\u00f3n got his when he decided to record this beauty of a salsa scorcher as a duet with Puerto Rican crooner Andy Monta\u00f1ez. A summation of his musical persona, \u201cIdilio\u201d boasts fiery trombone mo\u00f1as<\/em> and Willie\u2019s vocals in rare form. It may follow the sugary salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> vein, but it grooves like crazy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Talento de Televisi\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t![\"MEXICO](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/willie-colon-essentials-10.jpg?w=300\")
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Gonzalez Castillo\/LatinContent\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tA misguided attempt at reigniting the sacred Blades\/Col\u00f3n partnership, Tras La Tormenta <\/em>found both legends recording their parts in separate studios. Still, the album included this joyous salsa romp \u2014 a giddy, goofy character study. Ignore the older-Latino-gentleman-in-the-room humor by composer Am\u00edlcar Bosc\u00e1n, and surrender instead to Col\u00f3n\u2019s hilarious interpretation, and the sharp, staccato grooves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\t<\/p>\n
\n\tThe precise moment in time when Col\u00f3n begins to take salsa into uncharted territory: he adapts a children\u2019s song from Ghana into an urban mega-hit. Funky, rambunctious, deliciously rough, it offers the perfect setting for H\u00e9ctor Lavoe\u2019s throaty vocals to shine. No wonder the older generation felt threatened by this young pair of musical outlaws.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
\u2018La Murga\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brigitte Engl\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tFor Asalto Navide\u00f1o<\/em>, the most transcendent Latin Christmas album of all time, Col\u00f3n and Lavoe enlisted the authentic touch of boricua folk master Yomo Toro on the cuatro<\/em>. A celebration of Panamanian folk, \u201cLa Murga\u201d became legendary for the ragged propulsion of its trombone riffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Cua Cua Ra, Cua Cua\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brigitte Engl\/Redferns\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n and Lavoe toured and recorded incessantly during the first half of the Seventies, and their music became increasingly cosmopolitan, always searching for a bigger scope. By the time he recorded The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<\/em> with Lavoe, Rub\u00e9n Blades and Yomo Toro, Col\u00f3n\u2019s tropical blend included rock, funk and the sounds of Brazil. He sings lead on this lovely Baden Powell cover, his casual interpretation evoking mischief and longing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Peri\u00f3dico de Ayer\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: GV Cruz\/WireImage\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n was instrumental in cementing the progressive salsa sound of the late Seventies, and his production work on Lavoe\u2019s initial solo outings gave him the chance to dream big. He reportedly hired a string section out of his own pocket for this Tite Curet Alonso gem, generating a soulful interplay between strings and brass. It may have emerged from the barrios of New York City \u2014 but at this juncture, salsa sounded as imperial as a classical symphony.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\n\u2018Pedro Navaja\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe appearance of Panamanian prodigy Rub\u00e9n Blades on the New York salsa scene gave Col\u00f3n the opportunity to collaborate with a songwriter of unparalleled poetic reach. An ideological manifesto, Siembra <\/em>also signified the aesthetic peak of the salsa revolution \u2014 with \u201cPedro Navaja\u201d its undisputed anthem. Col\u00f3n\u2019s sweet trombone layers frame the brainy references to Kafka and Bertolt Brecht, plus Blades\u2019 irresistible existential sarcasm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Oh Qu\u00e9 Ser\u00e1?\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tThe devastating breakup of Col\u00f3n\u2019s partnership with Lavoe allowed him to develop an exquisite new sound as a solo artist: having rewritten the salsa rulebook with sterling commercial results, he was now emboldened to walk closer to the edge. This grand cover of the 1976 hit by Brazilian master Chico Buarque is laced with lush female choruses and an epic string section. This is where the salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> sound begins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Gitana\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Brendan Hoffman\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tCol\u00f3n never hid his natural proclivity for melodrama \u2014 in fact, he showed it off wrapped up in a luxurious wall-of-sound. A cover of a Spanish song by singer\/guitarist Manzanita, \u201cGitana\u201d places him on the brink of Latin pop affectation, with theatrical accents on the flute and violin. To his credit, the clave<\/em> remains rock solid throughout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018El Gran Var\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Johnny Louis\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tWhile most of the salsa giants experienced some form of creative exhaustion during the late Nineties, Col\u00f3n continued to push the envelope. His last album for the Fania label, Top Secrets<\/em> included this thoughtful Omar Alfanno composition that touches on transphobia, the AIDS epidemic and the patriarchal venom that destroyed many a life in 20th century Latin America. The elaborate salsa sinf\u00f3nica<\/em> backdrop adds an extra layer of poignancy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Idilio\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Gladys Vega\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tEvery icon deserves a late-career smash, and Col\u00f3n got his when he decided to record this beauty of a salsa scorcher as a duet with Puerto Rican crooner Andy Monta\u00f1ez. A summation of his musical persona, \u201cIdilio\u201d boasts fiery trombone mo\u00f1as<\/em> and Willie\u2019s vocals in rare form. It may follow the sugary salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> vein, but it grooves like crazy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\n\u2018Talento de Televisi\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Gonzalez Castillo\/LatinContent\/Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\n\tA misguided attempt at reigniting the sacred Blades\/Col\u00f3n partnership, Tras La Tormenta <\/em>found both legends recording their parts in separate studios. Still, the album included this joyous salsa romp \u2014 a giddy, goofy character study. Ignore the older-Latino-gentleman-in-the-room humor by composer Am\u00edlcar Bosc\u00e1n, and surrender instead to Col\u00f3n\u2019s hilarious interpretation, and the sharp, staccato grooves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFor Asalto Navide\u00f1o<\/em>, the most transcendent Latin Christmas album of all time, Col\u00f3n and Lavoe enlisted the authentic touch of boricua folk master Yomo Toro on the cuatro<\/em>. A celebration of Panamanian folk, \u201cLa Murga\u201d became legendary for the ragged propulsion of its trombone riffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCol\u00f3n and Lavoe toured and recorded incessantly during the first half of the Seventies, and their music became increasingly cosmopolitan, always searching for a bigger scope. By the time he recorded The Good, The Bad, The Ugly<\/em> with Lavoe, Rub\u00e9n Blades and Yomo Toro, Col\u00f3n\u2019s tropical blend included rock, funk and the sounds of Brazil. He sings lead on this lovely Baden Powell cover, his casual interpretation evoking mischief and longing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCol\u00f3n was instrumental in cementing the progressive salsa sound of the late Seventies, and his production work on Lavoe\u2019s initial solo outings gave him the chance to dream big. He reportedly hired a string section out of his own pocket for this Tite Curet Alonso gem, generating a soulful interplay between strings and brass. It may have emerged from the barrios of New York City \u2014 but at this juncture, salsa sounded as imperial as a classical symphony.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe appearance of Panamanian prodigy Rub\u00e9n Blades on the New York salsa scene gave Col\u00f3n the opportunity to collaborate with a songwriter of unparalleled poetic reach. An ideological manifesto, Siembra <\/em>also signified the aesthetic peak of the salsa revolution \u2014 with \u201cPedro Navaja\u201d its undisputed anthem. Col\u00f3n\u2019s sweet trombone layers frame the brainy references to Kafka and Bertolt Brecht, plus Blades\u2019 irresistible existential sarcasm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tThe devastating breakup of Col\u00f3n\u2019s partnership with Lavoe allowed him to develop an exquisite new sound as a solo artist: having rewritten the salsa rulebook with sterling commercial results, he was now emboldened to walk closer to the edge. This grand cover of the 1976 hit by Brazilian master Chico Buarque is laced with lush female choruses and an epic string section. This is where the salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> sound begins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tCol\u00f3n never hid his natural proclivity for melodrama \u2014 in fact, he showed it off wrapped up in a luxurious wall-of-sound. A cover of a Spanish song by singer\/guitarist Manzanita, \u201cGitana\u201d places him on the brink of Latin pop affectation, with theatrical accents on the flute and violin. To his credit, the clave<\/em> remains rock solid throughout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tWhile most of the salsa giants experienced some form of creative exhaustion during the late Nineties, Col\u00f3n continued to push the envelope. His last album for the Fania label, Top Secrets<\/em> included this thoughtful Omar Alfanno composition that touches on transphobia, the AIDS epidemic and the patriarchal venom that destroyed many a life in 20th century Latin America. The elaborate salsa sinf\u00f3nica<\/em> backdrop adds an extra layer of poignancy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tEvery icon deserves a late-career smash, and Col\u00f3n got his when he decided to record this beauty of a salsa scorcher as a duet with Puerto Rican crooner Andy Monta\u00f1ez. A summation of his musical persona, \u201cIdilio\u201d boasts fiery trombone mo\u00f1as<\/em> and Willie\u2019s vocals in rare form. It may follow the sugary salsa rom\u00e1ntica<\/em> vein, but it grooves like crazy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \t<\/p>\n \n\tA misguided attempt at reigniting the sacred Blades\/Col\u00f3n partnership, Tras La Tormenta <\/em>found both legends recording their parts in separate studios. Still, the album included this joyous salsa romp \u2014 a giddy, goofy character study. Ignore the older-Latino-gentleman-in-the-room humor by composer Am\u00edlcar Bosc\u00e1n, and surrender instead to Col\u00f3n\u2019s hilarious interpretation, and the sharp, staccato grooves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\u2018Cua Cua Ra, Cua Cua\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Peri\u00f3dico de Ayer\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Pedro Navaja\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Oh Qu\u00e9 Ser\u00e1?\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Gitana\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018El Gran Var\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Idilio\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u2018Talento de Televisi\u00f3n\u2019<\/h2>\n