El Malo
Willie Colón · 1967 · from the album El Malo · written by Willie Colón
A teenage trombonist from the Bronx, a young Héctor Lavoe, and the rough trombone sound of New York salsa.
- trombone
Why it matters
Willie Colón was a teenager from the Bronx when he recorded El Malo, his first album, released on Fania in 1967, with Héctor Lavoe singing. Colón wrote the title song, and “el malo” (the bad guy) became his nickname.
His two-trombone front line gave New York salsa one of its signature sounds, and his records with Lavoe and later with Rubén Blades, like Pedro Navaja, are among salsa's best-loved.
What to listen for
- The trombones: just two of them, Colón and Joe Santiago, and no trumpets. It's a raw, heavy sound, and it became the sound of Colón's band.
- Héctor Lavoe's voice, at 21, at the start of the partnership that made them both stars.
- A tough, street-level groove. It suits grounded, confident dancing more than flashy turns.