Tito Puente and His Orchestra

Tito Puente Biography Tito Puente FULL NAME Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. The son of Ernest and Ercilia Puente, native Puerto Ricans living in New York City's Spanish Harlem, Puente is often credited as "The Musical Pope", "El Rey de los Timbales" (The King of the Timbales) and "The King of Latin Music". He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions that endured over a 50-year career. He and his music appear in many films such as The Mambo Kings and Fernando Trueba's Calle 54. He guest-starred on several television shows, including Sesame Street and The Simpsons two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?". OCCUPATION Songwriter, Conductor BIRTH DATE April 20, 1923 DEATH DATE May 31, 2000 EDUCATION The Juilliard School PLACE OF BIRTH New York, New York PLACE OF DEATH New York, New York AKA Tito Puente NICKNAME "El Rey de los Timbales", "King of Latin Jazz", "King of the Timbales", "El Rey", "The King", "Sultan of Salsa", "Musical Pope" Tito Puente was a musical pioneer, mixing musical styles with Latin sounds and experimenting in fusing Latin music with jazz. “There's a lot of young people out there who need to develop their talents, and old-timers like me have to give them space.” —Tito Puente QUOTES Synopsis Born on April 20, 1923, in New York City, Tito Puente, donned the "King of Latin Jazz," was a pioneering force in Latin music, known for fusing styles and putting a big-band spin on traditional Latin music. In 1948, Puente formed a band that would become known as the Tito Puente Orchestra. A decade later, he released his best-selling album, Dance Mania (1958). His most notable songs include "Babarabatiri," "Ran Kan Kan" and "Oye Como Va." By the end of his decades-long career, Puente was deemed a musical legend in Latin music and jazz circles. He died in New York City in 2000, at age 77. Early Life Famed jazz composer and bandleader Tito Puente was born Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. in New York City on April 20, 1923. The son of Puerto Rican immigrants, Puente grew up in New York City's Spanish Harlem and became a professional musician at age 13. He learned to play a number of instruments as a child, beginning with the piano and then moving to percussion, saxophone, vibraphone and timbales (paired high-pitched drums). After an apprenticeship in the historic Machito Orchestra, Puente was drafted into the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. Career Puente served in the Navy for three years during World War II after being drafted in 1942. He was discharged with a Presidential Unit Citation for serving in nine battles on the escort carrier USS Santee (CVE-29). The GI Bill allowed him to study music at Juilliard School of Music, where he completed a formal education in conducting, orchestration and theory. In 1969, he received the key to the City of New York from former Mayor John Lindsay. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Congressional Record, and in 1993 he received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian. We play jazz with the Latin touch, that's all, you know. During the 1950s, Puente was at the height of his popularity, and helped to bring Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds like mambo, son, and cha-cha-chá, to mainstream audiences. Puente was so successful playing popular Afro-Cuban rhythms that many people mistakenly identify him as Cuban. Dance Mania, possibly Puente's most well known album, was released in 1958. Among his most famous compositions are mambo Oye como va (1963), popularized by Carlos Santana and later interpreted, among others, by Julio Iglesias, Irakere or Celia Cruz. Later, he moved into more diverse sounds, including pop music, bossa nova and others, eventually settling down with a fusion of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz. In 1979, Puente won the first of five Grammy Awards for the albums A Tribute to Benny Moré, On Broadway, Mambo Diablo, and Goza Mi Timbal In 1990, Puente was awarded the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal. He was also awarded a Grammy at the first Latin Grammy Awards, winning Best Traditional Tropical Album for Mambo Birdland. In 1995, he appeared as himself on the Simpsons episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" In early 2000, he shot the music documentary Calle 54, wearing an all-white outfit with his band. 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 May 31, 2000. He was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. 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 as dances and music and much more. The film discusses many of Puente's, as well as Arsenio Rodríguez's, contributions, and features interviews with some of the musicians Puente recorded with such as Alfonso "El Panameno" Joseph, Luis Mangual, Julian Lianos and others. Latin Music Sensation Returning to New York in 1945, Puente used money from the G.I. Bill to study at New York City's famed Juilliard School. In 1948, he formed a band that would later become known as the Tito Puente Orchestra. By the 1950s, the band was attracting large crowds and Puente, subsequently, became known as a Latin music sensation. In 1958, Puente released his best-selling album, Dance Mania, and more hit records soon followed, with notable songs including "Babarabatiri," "Ran Kan Kan" and "Oye Como Va." Fans enjoyed the way Puente put a big band spin on traditional Latin dances, mixing Latin sounds with jazz and other genres. Puente later added other Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms to his repertoire, including cha-cha, merengue, bossa nova and salsa, and his continuous experimentation and creativity earned him a reputation as a musical pioneer. Throughout his career, which spanned more than five decades, Puente performed with a number of leading jazz performers, including George Shearing and Woody Herman, as well as with many stars of Latin music. In later years, he performed with many symphony orchestras. Puente received numerous awards for his work, including five Grammy Awards, the first of which he won in 1979 for the album Homenaje a Beny, a tribute to Benny Moré. (His 1976 album The Legend had been nominated for a Grammy in 1977, and he would receive seven more nominations by the mid-1990s.) Puente went on to garner two more Grammys in the 1980s, for the more traditional Latin jazz albums On Broadway and Mambo Diablo, and picked up a fourth in 1990 for Goza Mi Timbal. In 1999, Puente was awarded an honorary degree at Columbia University. The following year, he received a Latin Grammy Award (best traditional tropical Latin performance)—his fifth Grammy—for Mambo Birdland. Other Projects In addition to music, Puente remained dedicated to causes affecting the Latin community throughout his lifetime. In 1979, he created a scholarship fund for Latin percussionists at the Juilliard School. "The scholarship was a dream of mine for a long time," Puente later said, explaining, "In the Latin community, we have a lot of gifted youngsters who don't get an opportunity to develop their talent because of a lack of money. Long after, I'm gone, the fund will be helping kids." More than a decade later, Oscar Hijuelos created a character based on Puente for his 1989 novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Puente appeared as himself in the 1992 film adaptation of the book). Around this same time, the jazz musician guest-starred on several television shows, including The Simpsons. 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, while daughter Audrey Puente is a television meteorologist for WNYW and WWOR-TV in New York City. Puente's granddaughter, Janeen Puente, is a singer and bandleader Death and Legacy By the end of his decades-long career, Tito Puente, sometimes called the "King of Latin Jazz" or simply "El Rey" ("The King"), had made an indelible mark on the popular culture. In addition to making more than 100 albums and creating more than 200 compositions, Puente had become a highly revered musician, regarded as a musical legend in Latin music and jazz circles. Tito Puente died on May 31, 2000, at the age of 77, in a New York City hospital where he was awaiting heart surgery. Adored by fans across the globe, several supporters waited in line for days to say goodbye to the popular bandleader. He was survived by wife Margaret Acencio, his partner for 30 years; their two children, Tito Jr., a musician, and Audrey, a newscaster; and a son named Richard, also a musician, from his earlier relationship to Ida Carlini. Tito Puente was a jazz and latin music percussionist. Back in the day, he would have competitions with other bands such as Perez Prado to see who would be named “King of the mambo”. Tito always won. From various sources and as one can see from video, Puente was an electric performer who always stood up on the timbales. He was an accomplished dancer as well. Tito Puente is probably the most beloved figure of the music that is now mostly called Latin jazz. When asked if he played salsa, he replied, ” I don’t play sauce.(the Spanish meaning of the word) I play jazz.” Today’s most popular artist in Latin jazz, Poncho Sanchez, named his son Tito after Tito Puente. Many of his records are great, such as “In Session”. The quality on record is not as consistent as he apparently was in concert, though. Some recordings are mediocre in quality. The list of people who played with him would fill a who’s who of both Jazz and Latin music. His last release was a duo with Eddie Palmieri, the appropriately named ” Obra Maestra”. If anyone is to name the King of the mambo or the King of Latin Jazz, the most popular answer will be Tito Puente. Awards and recognition During the presidency of Sen. Roberto Rexach Benítez, Tito Puente received the unique honor of having both a special session of the Senate of Puerto Rico 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 in Spanish Harlem was named after him at a ceremony presided by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Rep. José Serrano (D-NY). An amphitheatre was named in his honor at Luis Muñoz Marín Park, next to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puente performed at the closing ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The timbales he used there are on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. In 1997, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.[12] In 1990 he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. (ref Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce) 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 with a star on the Walk of Fame at Union City's Celia Cruz Park Tito Puente Musical Legacy 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 Night Beat (1957) RCA Victor Top Percussion (1958) RCA Victor Dance Mania (1958) RCA Victor Dancing Under Latin Skies (1959) Mucho Cha-Cha (1959)[14] Tambo (1960) RCA Victor Cha Cha With Tito Puente at Grossinger's (1960) RCA Victor El Rey: Bravo (1963) Tico 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) (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 (1999) Special Delivery featuring Maynard Ferguson (1996) Rey (2000) His Vibes & Orchestra (2000) Cha Cha Cha for Lovers (2000) Homenaje a Beny Moré Vol. 3 (2000) featuring Celia Cruz 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 - Rhythmstick (1990) With Hilton Ruiz - Rhythm in the House (RMM, 1976 [1998]) With Sonny Stitt - The Matadors Meet the Bull (Roulette, 1965) Selected feature films Armed and Dangerous (1986) Radio Days (1987) The Mambo Kings (1992) Stripes (1981) (mentioned Documentaries Tito Puente: The King of Latin Music (2000) Profiles Featuring Tito Puente Jr. (2007) Latin Knights (2005) Calle 54 (2000 Concert films Tito Puente - Live in Montreal (Montreal Jazz Festival) (1983) (2003) Personal Note All those who knew Tito have testified to the humility and generosity that possessed this little Giant. Always a smile and a hug always ready to extend the hand no matter who he was and without any personal interest always from the depths of his heart. Arturo Sandoval wrote a song named Tito on his album Hot House that explains who Tito was. Los Papines also dedicated a song named Recordando A Tito Puente on their album Rumba Sin Alarde. Tito Puente Always ready to promote Latin music and put it in the place it deserves and for that and much more, Thank You Teacher. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.