Tomorrow marks the birth anniversary of Tito Puente, the internationally known icon of Latin music. The "Mambo King" or "El Rey" was an influential bandleader, composer, arranger, and percussionist who initiated the use of the timbal, a double tom-tom played with sticks, and the vibraphone to Afro-Cuban music. He not only played the alto sax, bass, piano, conga drums etc. but was an acclaimed dancer, whose Dancemania album sold over half a million copies since its issuance in 1957.
With his warm, engaging stage personality and superlative, classically honed musical skills, he appealed to all generations and had a huge following. His joyous renditions of dance music helped to popularize the cha-cha, mambo, and salsa. Some of the musicians that he collaborated with included Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Woody Herman, and Buddy Morrow. He performed at New York City’s Palladium Ballroom, hosted his own television show in 1968, appeared in a cameo role on The Cosby Show, guest-starred on an episode of The Simpsons, and had a role in the movie The Mambo Kings. His professional accomplishments included five Grammy Awards, Hollywood's Walk of Fame star, a U.S. Postal Service stamp cancellation mark, and the distinction of being the only non-Cuban invited to a Cuban government-sponsored "50 Years of Cuban Music" celebration in 1952 . He was a perennial figure at the Puerto Rican parade and was a source of pride for New York's Puerto Rican community.
The Library invites you to check out his music including The Complete RCA Recordings, Latin Romance, and Mambo Birdland.