Willie Colón began his salsa career playing the trombone.
Born in New York City in 1950 to Puerto Rican parents, Colón first picked up the trumpet but later switched to trombone. He was influenced by the powerful all-trombone sound associated with musicians such as Mon Rivera and Barry Rogers.
Colón became one of the key figures in New York salsa and was signed by Fania Records at age 15. At 17, he recorded his first album, beginning a major career that also included singing, composing, arranging, producing and activism.
A common mix-up is assuming that his primary instrument was trumpet because he initially studied it. His trombone playing, however, became central to his identity and to the hard-edged sound of his early recordings, including his celebrated collaborations with Héctor Lavoe.