Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented

mambo Mambo most often refers to: *Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particula ...

and Latin jazz compositions from his 50-year career. His most famous song is "

Oye Como Va "Oye Cómo Va" is a 1962 cha-cha-chá by Tito Puente, originally released on ''El Rey Bravo'' ( Tico Records). The song achieved worldwide popularity in 1970, when it was recorded by American rock group Santana for their album ''Abraxas''. This ...

". Puente and his music have appeared in films including '' The Mambo Kings'' and Fernando Trueba's ''

Calle 54 ''Calle 54'' is a 2000 documentary film about Latin jazz by Spanish director Fernando Trueba. With only minimal introductory voiceovers, the film consists of studio performances by a wide array of Latin Jazz musicians. Artists featured include Chuc ...

''. He guest-starred on television shows, including ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'' and ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' two-part episode " Who Shot Mr. Burns?".

Early life

Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, at Harlem Hospital Center in the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, the son of Ernest and Felicia Puente,

Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants. Overview The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...

living in New York City's

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fi ...

. His family moved frequently, but he spent the majority of his childhood in Spanish Harlem. Puente's father was the foreman at a razorblade factory. As a child, he was described as hyperactive, and after neighbors complained of hearing seven-year-old Puente beating on pots and window frames, his mother sent him to 25-cent piano lessons. He switched to percussion by the age of 10, drawing influence from jazz drummer Gene Krupa. He later created a song-and-dance duo with his sister Anna in the 1930s and intended to become a dancer, but an ankle tendon injury prevented him from pursuing dance as a career. When the drummer in Machito's band was drafted to the army, Puente subsequently took his place.

Career

Puente served in the Navy for three years during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

after being drafted in 1942. He was discharged with a Presidential Unit Citation for serving in nine battles on the

escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...

USS ''Santee'' (CVE-29). The

GI Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

allowed him to study music at

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

, where he completed formal education in conducting, orchestration, and theory. During the 1950s, Puente was at the height of his popularity and helped to bring Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds like

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some curren ...

, and cha-cha-chá, to mainstream audiences. Puente played popular Afro-Cuban rhythms so successfully that many people mistakenly identified him as Cuban. '' Dance Mania'', possibly Puente's most well-known album, was released in 1958. Among his most famous compositions is the cha-cha "

Oye como va "Oye Cómo Va" is a 1962 cha-cha-chá by Tito Puente, originally released on ''El Rey Bravo'' ( Tico Records). The song achieved worldwide popularity in 1970, when it was recorded by American rock group Santana for their album ''Abraxas''. This ...

" (1963), popularized by Latin rock musician

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

and later interpreted, among others, by

Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record ...

, Irakere and

Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during ...

. In 1969, he received the key to the City of New York from former Mayor

John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...

. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Congressional Record, and in 1993 he received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian. Phoenix-Musical Intrument Museum-Tito Puente exhibit-2

Phoenix-Musical Intrument Museum-Tito Puente exhibit-2

In early 2000, Puente appeared in the music documentary ''

''. Tito Puente's name is often mentioned in a television production called ''La Epoca'', a film about the Palladium era in New York, Afro-Cuban music and rhythms, mambo and

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

as dances and music and much more. The film discusses many of Puente's, as well as

Arsenio Rodríguez Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; 31 August 1911 – 30 December 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4 p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandleade ...

's, contributions and features interviews with some of the musicians Puente recorded with.

Personal life and death

Puente's son Richard "Richie" Puente was the percussionist in the 1970s funk band Foxy. Puente's youngest son, Tito Puente Jr., has continued his father's legacy by presenting many of the same songs in his performances and recordings. His daughter

Audrey Puente Audrey Puente (born March 3, 1970) is an Emmy Award winning American meteorologist. She brings the weather for the weekend news at 6 and 10 p.m. on WNYW in New York City. She also fills in on ''Good Day New York''. Early life and education Was ...

is a television meteorologist for WNYW and

WWOR-TV WWOR-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area as the flagship of MyNetworkTV. It is owned and operated by Fox Television Stations alongside Fox flagship WNYW ...

in New York City. After a show in Puerto Rico on May 31, 2000, he suffered a massive heart attack and was flown to New York City for surgery to repair a heart valve, but complications developed, and he died on June 1, 2000, at 2:27 am. He was posthumously awarded the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...

in 2003.

Awards and recognition

*In 1995, Tito Puente received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award. *During the presidency of Sen.

Roberto Rexach Benítez Roberto Nicolás Rexach Benítez (December 18, 1929 – April 4, 2012) also known as his stage name Bobby, was a Puerto Rican politician, and former Senator and Representative. Rexach Benítez served as the tenth President of the Senate of P ...

, Tito Puente received the unique honor of having both a special session of the

Senate of Puerto Rico The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, contro ...

dedicated to him and being allowed to perform in his unique style on the floor of the Senate while it was in session. *On September 10, 2007, a

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

was named after him at a ceremony presided over by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Rep. José Serrano (D-NY). *An

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

was named in his honor at Luis Muñoz Marín Park, next to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the ...

. * In 1995, Puente was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

. *Puente performed at the closing ceremonies at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta, Georgia. The timbales he used are displayed at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. *In 1997, he was awarded the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...

. *In 1990, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. *In 1984, he received an honorary Decree from the Los Angeles City Council. *On June 5, 2005, Puente was honored by

Union City, New Jersey Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589,Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during ...

Park. *In 1999, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. *On May 19, 1999, he received an honorary Mus.D degree from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. *On August 20, 2000, East 110th Street in Spanish Harlem was named 'Tito Puente Way'. *On October 11, 2022, Puente was honored with a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

in honor of

Hispanic Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month (Spanish: ''Mes nacional de la herencia hispana'') is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, cul ...

Discography

As leader

*''Mambos Vol. 1 & Vol. 2'' (10" LP's, 1951) Tico *''Mambos Vol. 3 & Vol. 4'' (10" LP's, 1952) Tico *''Mambos Vol. 5 & King of the Mambo, Vol. 6'' (10" LP's, 1953) Tico *''Mamborama'' (1955) Tico *''Puente In Percussion'' (1956) Tico *''Cha Cha Cha's For Lovers'' (1956) Tico *''Cuban Carnival'' (1956)

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

*''Night Beat'' (1957) RCA Victor *''Top Percussion'' (1958) RCA Victor *'' Dance Mania'' (1958) RCA Victor *''Dancing Under Latin Skies'' (1959) *''Mucho Cha-Cha'' (1959) *''Tambo'' (1960) RCA Victor *''Cha Cha With Tito Puente at Grossinger's'' (1960) RCA Victor *''El Rey: Bravo'' (1962) Tico *''

Tito Puente Swings, The Exciting Lupe Sings ''Tito Puente Swings, The Exciting Lupe Sings'', also known as ''La exitante Lupe canta con el maestro Tito Puente'' is an album by La Lupe and Tito Puente. It was released by Tico Records Tico Records was a New York City record label that was f ...

'' (1965) *''El Rey (The King)'' (1968) Tico *'' El Rey: Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble'' (1984) Concord Picante *''Mambo Diablo'' (1985) Concord Picante *''Sensacion'' (1986) Concord Picante *''Un Poco Loco'' (1987) Bellaphon *''Goza Mi Timbal'' (1989) Concord Picante *''Tito's Idea'' (1995) Tropi Jazz / RMM *''Jazzin' '' (with

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

) (1996) Tropi Jazz / RMM *''Percussion's King'' (1997) *''Selection of Mambo & Cha Cha Cha'' (1997) *''50 Years of Swing'' (1997) *''Tito Meets Machito: Mambo Kings'' (1997) *''Cha Cha Cha Rumba Beguine'' (1998) *''Dance Mania '99: Live at Birdland'' (1998) *''The Very Best of Tito Puente'' (1998) *''Timbalero Tropical'' (1998) *''Yambeque'' (1998) *''Absolute Best'' (1999) *''Carnival'' (1999) *''Colección original'' (1999) *''Golden Latin Jazz All Stars: In Session'' (1999) *''Latin Flight'' (1999) *''Latin Kings'' (1999) *''Lo mejor de lo mejor'' (1999) *''

Mambo Birdland ''Mambo Birdland'' is a live album by the American musician Tito Puente. It was released in 1999. The album won a Grammy Award, in the "Best Traditional Tropical Latin Performance" category; it was Puente's fifth Grammy. Interviewed after the no ...

'' (1999) *''Special Delivery'' featuring

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often serv ...

(1996) *''Rey'' (2000) *''His Vibes & Orchestra'' (2000) *''Cha Cha Cha for Lovers'' (2000) *''Homenaje a Beny Moré Vol. 3'' (2000) featuring

*''Dos ídolos. Su música'' (2000) *''Tito Puente y su Orquesta Mambo'' (2000) *''The Complete RCA Recordings. Vol. 1'' (2000) *''The Best of the Concord Years'' (2000) *''Por fin (Finally)'' (2000) *''Party with Puente!'' (2000) *''Masterpiece/Obra maestra'' (2000) with Eddie Palmieri *''Mambo Mambo'' (2000) *''Mambo King Meets the Queen of Salsa'' (2000) *''Latin Abstract'' (2000) *''Kings of Mambo'' (2000) *''Cha Cha Cha for Lovers'' (2000) *''The Legends Collection: Tito Puente & Celia Cruz'' (2001) *''The Complete RCA Recordings, Vol. 2'' (2001) *''RCA Recordings'' (2001) *''Puente caliente'' (2001) *''The Best of...'' (2001) *''King of Mambo'' (2001) *''El Rey: Pa'lante! Straight!'' (2001) *''Cocktail Hour'' (2001) *''Selection. King of Mambo'' (2001) *''Herman Meets Puente'' (2001) *''Undisputed'' (2001) *''Fiesta'' (2002) *''Colección Diamante'' (2002) *''Tito Puente y Celia Cruz'' (2002) *''Live at the Playboy Jazz Festival'' (2002) *''King of Kings: The Very Best of Tito Puente'' (2002) *''Hot Timbales!'' (2002) *''Dr. Feelgood'' (2002) *''Carnaval de éxitos'' (2002) *''Caravan Mambo'' (2002) *''We Love Salsa'' (2006) *''Quatro: The Definitive Collection''(2012)

As sideman

With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but a ...

*''

Rhythmstick ''Rhythmstick'' is a 1990 album and video by Dizzy Gillespie and CTI Records All-Stars.Allmusic review/ref> Video Track listing #"Barbados" (Charlie Parker) #"Friday Night at the Cadillac Club" (Bob Berg) #"Nana" ( Moacir Santos) #"Caribe" ( Mich ...

'' (1990) With

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/ hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before laun ...

*''

Remembering Clifford ''Remembering Clifford'' is an album by the saxophonist/composer Benny Golson, recorded in 1997 and released on the Milestone label the following year. Reception The AllMusic review by Cub Koda stated: "Benny Golson was moved by the death of bo ...

'' (Milestone, 1998) With

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

*'' Quincy Plays for Pussycats'' (Mercury, 1959–65

965 Year 965 ( CMLXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II conquers the fortress cities of Ta ...

;With

Hilton Ruiz Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player. He was of Puerto Rican descent. Biography Born in New York City, Ruiz began playing piano at the age of ...

*'' Rhythm in the House'' (RMM, 1976 998 With

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/ hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of h ...

*'' The Matadors Meet the Bull'' (

Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

, 1965)

Filmography

Selected feature films

*'' Armed and Dangerous'' (1986) as Band Leader *'' Radio Days'' (1987) as Latin Bandleader *'' The Mambo Kings'' (1992) as Himself

Documentaries

*''Tito Puente: The King of Latin Music'' (2000) *''Profiles Featuring Tito Puente Jr.'' (2007) *''Latin Knights'' (2005) *''

'' (2000)

Concert films

*''Tito Puente – Live in Montreal (Montreal Jazz Festival) (1983)'' (2003)

''The Simpsons''

Puente appeared in the two-part

whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...

drama "'' Who Shot Mr. Burns?''" in the sixth season finale and seventh season premiere of American comedy cartoon show ''

'' in 1995. In the shows, Puente joins Springfield Elementary School as a music teacher after the school discovers it is located over an oil well. However,

Mr. Burns Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, Monty, or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced initially by ...

manages to pump the oil first, which makes him the legal owner of the well. This causes the school to fall into debt with budget cuts to the music and maintenance departments, causing Puente to lose his job. When Burns is later shot, Puente becomes one of the prime suspects but manages to clear himself by performing one of his songs for Chief Wiggum. Seven alternative endings were filmed of various characters shooting Burns; Puente is one of the alternates. Although all endings were animated, the ending of Maggie Simpson shooting Burns was the ending chosen to air. The Emmy-nominated song "Señor Burns" from the episode is featured on the 1999 album, '' Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons''.

References

External links

Tito Puente
at NPR Music * * *
Tito Puente Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1997) {{DEFAULTSORT:Puente, Tito Afro-Cuban jazz percussionists American jazz bandleaders American jazz drummers American jazz vibraphonists American male drummers American musicians of Puerto Rican descent American salsa musicians The Blackout All-Stars members Fania Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jazz fusion musicians Avant-garde jazz musicians Juilliard School alumni Latin Grammy Award winners Latin jazz drummers Latin music composers Puerto Rican composers Big band bandleaders Latin jazz bandleaders Latin jazz composers American male jazz musicians Mambo musicians Musicians from New York City 1923 births People from East Harlem RCA Victor artists RMM Records artists Salsa Tico Records artists Timbaleros 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 2000 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II United States National Medal of Arts recipients United States Navy sailors Puerto Rican military officers