Starting to play the trumpet at the age of 12, Colón switched to the trombone two years later. Making his recording debut in 1967, for Al Santiago's Futura label, Colón became a victim of misfortune when the label folded. Colón was much more successful when he signed with Johnny Pacheco's Fania label. When his vocalist failed to make Colón's first session for the label, Pacheco suggested Hector Lavoe as a replacement. The collaboration proved fruitful when two singles from Colón's first two albums (El Malo, Guisando) — "Jazzy" and "I Wish I Had a Watermelon" — became hits. Lavoe remained a vital member of Colón's band until the mid-'70s when an increased drug addiction caused him to miss or show up late for several gigs. Although their partnership formally ended in 1975, Colón and Lavoe continued to work together. Lavoe's last album, Strikes Back, released in 1987, was produced by Colón.
In 1975, Colón balanced his schedule as director of the Latin Jazz All Stars with studies in music theory, composition, and orchestration. His increased knowledge paid off quickly. In 1978, Colón was named Musician, Producer, and Trombone Player of the Year in a readers poll conducted by Latin New York. Three years later, he received an award as Musician of the Year and his album Fantasmas was named Album of the Year. Colón continued to garner acclaim when his album Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos received a Grammy award in 1982.
Although they met backstage before a concert in Panama in 1969, Colón and Blades didn't begin collaborating until five years later. While working on the album The Good-The Bad-The Ugly, Colón asked Blades to sing on the Blades-penned tune "El Cazanguero," which reflected on Blades' experiences as a law student working in a Panamanian prison. The session was so satisfying that Blades became a full-time member of Colón's band following the departure of Lavoe. Their 1978 album Siembra became the top-selling album in Fania's catalog. Despite their success, Blades severely quarreled with label president Jerry Mascucci over money. Although Colón recorded two solo albums — El Baquine de Angelitos Negros in 1977 and Solo in 1979 — and Blades recorded a solo album, Maestra Vida, in 1980, their solo work failed to match the commercial success of their joint efforts.
In 1981, the two musicians resumed their partnership with Blades playing coro on Colón's solo album Fantasmas. The following year, they collaborated on the Grammy-winning album Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos, which yielded the hits singles "Tiburon," "Ligia Elena," and "Te Estan Buscando." Their partnership again proved short-lived as Colón and Blades split up after working on the film The Last Fight. The split was far from amiable and the two musicians continued to feud until reuniting for a concert at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan in March 1992. Despite collaborating on the album Tras la Tormenta in 1995, Colón and Blades recorded their parts separately. Following a reunion concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1997, Colón and Blades performed a series of concerts together.
In the late '80s, Colón formed a new band, Legal Aliens, with younger musicians. Signing with Sony, Colón and the band recorded Color Americano in 1990 and Honra y Cultura in 1991. Two years later, Colón recorded Hecho en Puerto Rico with an all-star band featuring ex-members of the Fania All-Stars, Papo Lucca and Bobby Valentin. Since leaving Sony over a lack of promotional support, Colón continued to remain active.
Idilio
Willie Colón Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mas me destruye la incertidumbre que estoy pasando
Es que la nieve cruel de los años mi cuerpo enfría
Y se me agota ya la paciencia por ti esperando
Y se me agota ya la paciencia por ti esperando
Que a besos yo te levante al rayar el día
Y que el idilio perdure siempre al llegar la noche
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Que a besos yo te levante al rayar el día
(El día nos sorprenda corazón)
Y que el idilio perdure siempre al llegar la noche
(La noche sea tan solo de los dos)
Y cuando venga la aurora llena de goce
(Juntos solos tú y yo)
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Que a besos yo te levante al rayar el día
Y que el idilio perdure siempre al llegar la noche
Y cuando venga la aurora llena de goce
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Que a besos yo te levante al rayar el día
(El día nos sorprenda corazón)
Y que el idilio perdure siempre al llegar la noche
(La noche sea tan solo de los dos)
Y cuando venga la aurora llena de goce
(Juntos solos tú y yo)
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Soñando, contigo, queriendo
Que se cumpla nuestro idilio
A veces me voy a un rincón
Y me quedo en el vacío
Sufriendo con todo y amorío
Te llama mi corazón
Soñando, contigo, queriendo
Que se cumpla nuestro idilio
Y verás lo lindo que es el amor
Cuando se quiere de verdad
No existe duda, no existe rencor
Solo un corazón, que es para los dos
Soñando, contigo, queriendo
Que se cumpla nuestro idilio
Hey, yo esperaría mil años
Si fuera tu condición
Pero, el tiempo va volando
No hay ni calma, ni pasión
Soñando, contigo, queriendo
Que se cumpla nuestro idilio
Y así muy juntos volver a sentir
Que se fundan tu alma y la mía
En un abrazo
Un idilio de amor
The lyrics of Willie Colón's song Idilio express the conflicting emotions of a person who is deeply in love but struggling with uncertainty and impatience. The singer acknowledges that their desire to make their beloved theirs is driven by divine inspiration but also admits that waiting for them is challenging and frustrating. The passing of time is symbolized as "cruel snow" that is chilling their body and testing their patience. Nevertheless, they dream of a perfect world where they can kiss their lover at dawn, spend idyllic nights together, and merge their souls into one. They yearn for a love that is true, free from doubt and resentment. This song captures the essence of a passionate yet complicated romantic relationship where hope and despair coexist.
One of the interesting facts about the song Idilio is that it was written by Víctor Manuelle, a Puerto Rican salsa singer, when he was just 15 years old. Manuelle presented the song to Willie Colón, who was so impressed with it that he decided to produce it. The song was released in 1993 and became one of the most popular salsa songs of all time, reaching number one on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. Another interesting fact is that the song's melody was inspired by the Venezuelan waltz, a musical style that blends European and African rhythms. The original lyrics of the Venezuelan waltz were rewritten by Manuelle to reflect his own experiences of falling in love.
The song has been covered by many artists in various languages, including English, Italian, and Chinese. The song's popularity has also inspired some reinterpretations and parodies, such as the version sung by The Simpsons character Ralph Wiggum in the episode "The Haw-Hawed Couple." The song was also included in the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Idilio has been recognized as one of the best salsa songs of all time and has won several awards, including Premios Lo Nuestro for the Tropical Song of the Year in 1994.
Chords: The chords for Willie Colón's Idilio are C, Am, Dm, G, F, Em.
Line by Line Meaning
Solo me alienta el deseo divino de hacerte mía
The only thing that drives me is the deep, spiritual desire to make you mine.
Mas me destruye la incertidumbre que estoy pasando
However, the uncertainty that I'm going through is destroying me.
Es que la nieve cruel de los años mi cuerpo enfría
The cruel snow of the years has chilled my body.
Y se me agota ya la paciencia por ti esperando
I'm running out of patience waiting for you.
Que a besos yo te levante al rayar el día
I want to kiss you and lift you up as the day begins.
Y que el idilio perdure siempre al llegar la noche
And I want our romance to last forever as night falls.
Y cuando venga la aurora llena de goce
And when the morning comes filled with joy.
Se fundan en una sola tu alma y la mía
Our souls become one.
Soñando, contigo, queriendo
Dreaming, with you, wanting.
Que se cumpla nuestro idilio
Our romance comes true.
A veces me voy a un rincón
Sometimes, I go off to a corner.
Y me quedo en el vacío
And I'm left feeling empty.
Sufriendo con todo y amorío
Suffering despite our love.
Te llama mi corazón
My heart calls out to you.
Y verás lo lindo que es el amor
And you'll see how beautiful love can be.
Cuando se quiere de verdad
When it's truly wanted.
No existe duda, no existe rencor
There's no doubt, no resentment.
Solo un corazón, que es para los dos
There's just one heart for the two of us.
Hey, yo esperaría mil años
Hey, I'd wait a thousand years.
Si fuera tu condición
If it were your condition.
Pero, el tiempo va volando
But time flies by.
No hay ni calma, ni pasión
There's neither calm nor passion.
Y así muy juntos volver a sentir
And so, we'll be together and feel again.
Que se fundan tu alma y la mía
Our souls will become one.
En un abrazo
In an embrace.
Un idilio de amor
A romantic love story.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Titi Amadeo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind