“From me and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón rests in peace,” Bad Bunny said, referencing his own live band.
Bad Bunny paid tribute to salsa legend Willie Colón at his latest Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour stop in São Paulo, Brazil. Colón died Saturday morning at the age of 75, his family confirmed. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
“This music is very special. It’s the influence of all of us who grew up listening to salsa in the Caribbean. Today, one of the great legends who contributed to this beautiful genre passed away,” Bad Bunny said before diving into his song “NUEVAYoL,” which name-checks the salsa singer. “From me and Los Sobrinos, we wish Willie Colón rests in peace,” Bad Bunny said, referencing his own live band. “Much strength to his family,”
Bad Bunny name dropped the salsa legend in the first verse of his historic, genre-defying LP Debí Tirar Más Fotos. “Willie Colón, me dicen ‘еl malo,’” (“Willie Colón, they call me the bad one,”) Benito raps, referencing the salsa singer’s 1967 debut album El Malo. “NUEVAYoL” is a full homage to Nuoyorican icons like Colón. The track samples Puerto Rico’s “Godfather of Salsa” Andy Montañez Rodrígue’s rendition of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico’s song “Un Verano en Nueva York” against a boisterous dembow beat.
Many fans have pointed out that the salsa legend had right-wing views later in life and his social media presence across Instagram and X included criticism of Bad Bunny. Still, upon the song’s release, Colón responded positively to being name-checked in a social media video. “When I heard it, I was really surprised. The push it gave to salsa and to Boricuas, it’s something we all needed,” Colón said.