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willie colon - the big break - white - fania - clothing

Fania records is the greatest repertoire in Tropical Music, comprising more than four thousand albums by the masters of the genre. These artists mixed a cornucopia of styles that transcended the boundaries of traditional Latin music and set the path for the genres of Latin, Salsa, Boogaloo, Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz. Fania records all star roster includes such heavy hitters as Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Joe Battan, Celia Cruz and the infamous Fania All Stars, to mention a few.

Of the many brilliant LP covers from Fania records, "The Big Break" may be the most notorious one. The idea was a cover that replicated a Wanted by the FBI poster. Only that the FBI in question was the Freaks of Bureau Investigation, Colón was armed with a trombone and was wanted for killing people... with his exciting rhythm.

Using the project's limited budget to his advantage, the designer included a cheap photo of Colón and random fingerprints to create a realistic looking poster. After its release, the company was contacted by the real FBI, which requested that the ‘Wanted by FBI’ text be removed from the cover. Like most of the collaborations between trombonist, composer and musical director Willie Colón and mercurial Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoé, the album that “The Big Break” transcends the boundaries of salsa. Released in 1970, it is a masterpiece of Latin music, the kind of formidable artistic statement that established Fania records as a cultural icon.