Tito Puente: King of Latin Music

Get to know the life and work of Tito Puente, one of the most influential Latin musicians of all time. From his humble beginnings in New York City to his international fame, learn all about the “King of Latin Music.”

Early Life and Influences

Tito Puente was born Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr. on April 20, 1923, in New York City. His parents were both from Puerto Rico, and he was raised in Spanish Harlem. As a child, he loved music and was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, including Afro-Cuban, jazz, big band, and Latin American.

Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents

Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, in New York City. His parents, Irma and Ernesto Puente Sr., were both from Puerto Rico. Though Puente grew up in New York, he was very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and he later said that his parents instilled in him a love for Latin music. He began playing the piano at age seven and the trumpet at age 13. He studied music formally at Juilliard School, but he left before graduating to pursue a career in music.

Grew up in Spanish Harlem

Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, in Spanish Harlem, New York. His parents were both from Puerto Rico and had moved to New York in the early 1900s. Growing up, Puente was exposed to a wide range of musical styles, including Afro-Cuban rhythms, big band jazz and Latin American dance music. He began playing the drums at an early age and later learned to play the piano and timbales (a type of Cuban drum).

Puente’s first professional gig came at the age of 16, when he played with a band led by renowned trumpeter and bandleader Machito. He went on to play with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including pianist and composer Noro Morales, singer Cuco Sanchez and bandleader Xavier Cugat. In the 1940s, Puente began leading his own bands and developed his signature style, which combined elements of Afro-Cuban music, big band jazz and Latin American dance music.

Puente’s popularity soared in the 1950s with the release of a series of hit songs, including “El Cayuco,” “Mambo Gozon” and “Oye Como Va.” He also started appearing on television and in movies, including The Mambo Kings (1992) and The Perez Family (1995). In the 1990s, Puente was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Latin music. He continued performing and recording until his death from heart failure on May 31, 2000.

Was exposed to a variety of music genres including Latin, jazz, and classical

Tito Puente was born Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. on April 20, 1923, in New York City’s Spanish Harlem. One of five children, Puente was exposed to a variety of music genres at an early age, including Latin, jazz and classical. His father, Ernest Sr., played the piano and his mother, Angela Lyon, sang in a religious choir.

As a teenager, Puente began playing the drums in local big bands. He also took up the vibraphone and later the piano. In 1940, he dropped out of school to join Machito and His Afro-Cubans—one of the most popular Latin bands of the time. He recorded his first album with them in 1943.

Puente enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and played in the Navy band. After his discharge, he returned to New York City and continued to work as a musician—playing with such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker. In 1948, he formed his own band, which became one of the most popular Latin bands in the city.

Career

Puente is known for his work in the Latin jazz and mambo genres. He is also known as “El Rey de los Timbales” (The King of the Timbales) and “The Musical Pope”. He started his musical career at age 11, playing the congas in his father’s big band. By the 1940s, he was already leading his own band.

Began playing the drums at age seven

Tito Puente began playing the drums at age seven in his native Spanish Harlem. He soon began to show his proficiency on a variety of percussion instruments, including the bongos, timbales, and congas. After graduating from high school, he joined the navy and was stationed in Hawaii, where he was exposed to the music of Latin America. Upon his return to New York City, he began to play in a number of Latin-themed nightclubs.

Played with a number of Latin bands in the 1940s and 1950s

In the 1940s and 1950s, Tito Puente played with a number of Latin bands including the Miguelito Valdés Orchestra and the Stanley Kenton Orchestra. He also played on a number of recordings by Afro-Cuban singer Miguel Matamoros. In 1950, Puente made his first recordings as a leader for the Tico label. These recordings, which featured Puente’s orchestra playing Cuban dances such as the mambo and cha-cha-cha, were very popular.

Led his own band, the Tito Puente Orchestra, from the 1950s until his death

A gifted musician, Puente was proficient on the timbales, congas, bongos, piano, celeste and vibraphone, as well as being a singer and composer. He led his own band, the Tito Puente Orchestra, from the 1950s until his death. The band toured extensively in the United States and Latin America. They were particularly popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Legacy

Tito Puente was an enormously popular and influential Latin musician who helped to shape the sound of Latin music for decades. He was a master of several musical genres including Afro-Cuban, mambo, and salsa. His work had a profound effect on Latin music and American popular culture.

Won five Grammy Awards

Puente won five Grammy Awards throughout his career. He was awarded the Grammy Legend Award in 1989, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, and the Grammy Trustees Award in 1997. He won his first two Grammy Awards for Best Latin Recording in 1977 and 1978 for his albums Entre Covers and Mambo Birdland.

Was nicknamed “The King of Latin Music”

Tito Puente was nicknamed “The King of Latin Music” and was one of the most popular salsa musicians of the 20th century. He was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents and his music reflects both his Puerto Rican heritage and his love of jazz. Puente is credited with helping to popularize Latin music in the United States and around the world. He won five Grammy Awards during his career and was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame

In 1993, Puente was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton. In 2000, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2001 he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. On June 3, 2002, in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a concert featuring many of Latin music’s top performers was given in his honor.