From church basement to salsa immortality: Remembering Willie Colón

About this episode

This episode pays tribute to salsa legend Willie Colón through the insights of trombonist Angel “Papo” Vázquez.

On Feb. 21, the musical world lost a legend and pioneer of salsa: Willie Colón. The trombonist, songwriter, producer and arranger was a key part of the transition of Afro-Caribbean dance music from regional traditions to worldwide popularity. For an insider’s perspective on that history, this week we speak to trombonist and bandleader Angel “Papo” Vázquez, a Philadelphia-born musician who was not only inspired to play the trombone by Willie Colón, but also played on some historic recordings by Colón and other Fania Records notables. The best music tells great stories, and the same can be said about musicians. Vázquez brings along five tracks by Willie Colón that set him, and the rest of the world, on a path of deep appreciation for Colón’s contributions to salsa. This podcast episode was produced by Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Suraya Mohamed See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: NPR Music

Guest: Angel “Papo” Vázquez

Topics covered

• salsa music
• Willie Colón
• musical legacy
• trombone
• Fania Records
• Afro-Caribbean music

Keywords

• Willie Colón
• salsa
• trombonist
• Angel Vázquez
• Fania Records
• music history
• Afro-Caribbean

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR, Fania Records

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