Biographical notes

Album[s]:

Dance Mania, RCA, 1958. Puente Now! GNP Crescendo, 1960. The Legend, Tico, 1977. Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble on Broadway, Concord Picante, 1983.

Biographical notes:
Born under the name of Ernest Anthony Puente, Jr., Tito Puente is internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to Latin music as a bandleader, composer, arranger, and percussionist. His brand of classic salsa is more upbeat and joyful without any cynical or sad undertones. Popularly known as the "King of Mambo", he has recorded an unprecedented 100 albums, published more than 400 compositions, and won four Grammy awards. "In a day when pop singers fake their way to the top and when for many artists, success is the child of hype, Puente is one of only a handful of musicians who deserve the title 'legendary,'" Mark Holston stated in Américas.

Credited with introducing the timbal - a double tom-tom played with sticks - and the vibraphone to Afro-Cuban music, Puente also plays the trap drums, the conga drums, the claves, the piano, and occasionally, the saxophone and the clarinet. While Puente is perhaps best known for his all-time best-selling 1958 mambo album Dance Mania, his eclectic sound has continued to transcend cultural and generational boundaries. As a testament to his popularity with a younger audience, Puente has recorded with rocker Carlos Santana and has performed regularly at college concerts throughout the country. He has also appeared in several films, received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and performed on television's The David Letterman Show.

Tito Puente's website is located at http://www.titopuente.com.