See also: Tito (homonymy), Puente

Tito Puente (Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr of its true name) (New York: April 20th 1923 - New York: May 31st 2000) is a very popular and prolific musician (more than one hundred albums!!!) of Latin Music.
It is called El rey LED timbal (the king of the timbal).

It crossed all the fashions: Mambo, Latin jazz, Cha-cha, Pachanga, Boogaloo, Salsa…

At the 13 years age, he plays as a beater in the Big band of Ramon Olivero then studies the composition, the orchestration and the Piano with the Juilliard School off Music.

Dice its childhood, it learns how to dance and the Danse becomes a major axis of its musical career, “Without the dance, not of music, and without the dance, the music cannot be popular” .
Very early, it started to think like a Danse ur and not like a musician.

Puente began its career while playing with the cuban pianist Jose Curbelo in 1939, then with Johnny Rodríguez, Anselmo Sacassas, and Noro Morales.
In 1942, he played with Machito then share to make his service in the navy where he will be useful during the Second world war.
In 1945 it goes back to New York and works with Jose Curbello, Fernando Alvarez, Charlie Palmieri and Pupi Campo.
In 1947, it forms the orchestra Piccadilly Boys and signs the albums Abaniquito , El Timbal (1949), Babarabatiri (1951).
In 1949 it starts to also play of the Vibraphone.
Tito Puente also plays of the Congas, the Claves, the Piano and occasionally of the Saxophone and the Clarinette.
Its formation saw ravelling the largest percussionnists of the time: Chano Pozo, Manny Oquendo, Mongo Santamaría, Willie Sore, Patato Valdés, Cándido, Jose Mangual, Julito Collazo, Francisco Aguabella, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Rodríguez and Ray Barretto.

During the Years 1950, it plays of the Mambo almost every evening with Ballroom Palladium in New York, place of appointment of the high-speed motorboats américaines.
It popularizes then the Cha-cha-cha and he is the only noncuban artist with being invited in Cuba in 1952 at the time of the 50 years celebration of the cuban music.

In 1956, it is directed towards the Jazz with the album Puente Goes Jazz then towards the Bossa nova during the Années 1960.
Tito Puente records tens of albums touching with many different styles and in particular with the Salsa in the Années 1980.
He played with largest of the jazz, of Miles Davis to Lionel Hampton, of Dizzy Gillespie with Dexter Gordon.

In 1962, it composes Oye Como Va which will be an enormous success in 1970 thanks to the Reprise again of Carlos Santana (which will also take again another as of these compositions, Para los Rumberos , in 1972).

In the Seventies, it accompanies Joe Dassin. Nobody forgot sublimates it his trumpet in the Indian summer. Towards the end of the year 1970, it joined with " Patato" Latin Percussion Jazz Together with whom it records two discs and share in round in Europe and in Japan. Japanese will ignite for the Salsa: It is after having seen the group playing, that the Orquesta of Luz will be formed (later, Tito Puente will record with them them more famous title: Descarga of Luz ).

In the years 1980 he collaborates with Azuquita and India, and directs himself towards the instrumental music and the jazz.

He will work with the pianist Jorge Dalto and the violonist Alfredo of Fe, then the pianist Sony Bravo, Mario Rivera, Piro Rodríguez and the percussionnists " Dandy" Rodríguez and Jose Madera.
For its recordings for the Concord Picante , it will count on guests of luxury, like Maynard Ferguson, Terry Gibbs, Phil Woods and George Shearing.

The Mambo King : 100th LP :
In 1991, Tito Puente leaves its hundredth album at Sony: The Mambo King : 100th LP . Tito Puente invited many artists:
N°pist Title (Lasted) Type-setter - Interpreters):

1. Hay That Trabajar (5: 44) Angel Santiago - Oscar of León
2. Envuelvete Conmigo (4: 32) Julie Ruffino - Jose " El Canario" Alberto
3. Déjame Soñar (5: 00) Perin Vazquez - Tony Vega
4. Salsumba (4: 09) Angel Santiago, Marine Medina
5. Celia there Tito (5: 56) Johnny Pacheco - Celia Cruz
6. Nuestro Amor (4: 23) Concha Valdes Miranda - Tito Nieves
7. El Bribon del Aguacero (4: 40) ? - Ismael Miranda
8. Its idiot His (Of Luz) (5: 12) César Portillo DeLaLuz - Millie P.
9. Bolero Medley (5: 54) Julio Gutierrez, Pepe Delgado - Danny Will rivet, Santos Colon
10. El #100 (5: 58) Johnny Pacheco - Jose " El Canario" Alberto, Tito Nieves, Tony Vega, Domingo Quiñones, Millie P., Ismael Miranda, Santos Colonist

On the video (68 minutes), there is in more the pieces Mambo In Tito and Medley: Keep silent Ojos, Mirame Farmhouse, Hay Cariño (interpreted by Jose Alberto).

In 1992, it forms the Latin Golden Jazz AlStars with pillars of the Latin jazz such Hiltons Ruiz, Dave Valentine, Charlie Sepúlveda, Andy González, Ignacio Berroa, Giovanni Hidalgo.

In 1992 also, it plays its own part in the film Mambo Kings

It also appeared like “Guest star” (star invited) in the series Simpson S and the Cosby Show, and appeared in the film Radio Days of Woody Allen in 1987.

Its two greater successes are the Cha-cha-cha Oye como goes (title made popular by the Reprise again of Carlos Santana), and the Mambo (indémodable) Ran Kan Kan .

Tito Puente obtained five Grammy:

• 1979: Homenaje has Beny , homage to Beny Moré.
• 1983: In Broadway
• 1985: Mambo Diablo
• 1990 : Goza semi Timbal
• 2000: Mambo Birdland better disc of traditional music caribéenne (1st ceremony of Grammy Latin).

Its last album is Obra will maestra , recorded with Eddie Palmieri and of many prestigious guests.

A few weeks afterwards, the May 31st 2000, Tito Puente is Mort of a Heart attack) with New York at the 77 years age. It is buried with the Cimetière of Woodlawn.

The street where it was born now bears the name of “Tito Puente Way”.

His/her son Tito Puente Jr is also musician (official site: http://www.titopuentejr.net).
The percussionnist Sheila E. is his little girl.

External bonds

• a biography of Tito Puente