Percussion drums, those essential and heavenly instruments of Latin rhythm, cover the stage: they emit an unexpected presence, like silent band members waiting to come alive. The buzzing current in the air tastes sweet like brown sugar, but also hints at...
[more]Percussion drums, those essential and heavenly instruments of Latin rhythm, cover the stage: they emit an unexpected presence, like silent band members waiting to come alive. The buzzing current in the air tastes sweet like brown sugar, but also hints at crackling spice. The crowd awaits a genius, a king, a legend. So when a small, frail, white-haired man steps out, the silence is sudden and overwhelming. This is the King of Mambo? But with the first dizzying cracks at the timbales, their fears are put to rest -- this, indeed, is none other than Tito Puente. He drums away, sending waves of laughter and pure Latin ritmo through the audience. The crowd jumps ecstatically to the sound of this original Latin player.
Long before young heartthrobs like Ricky Martin popularized Latin beats with a disco take in the 1990s, there was Tito. Any exploration into the caves of Latin music always leads back to Tito Puente's ornate and richly decorated chamber of sound and percussion. Born of Puerto Rican parents and bred on American soil, Puente perfectly combined Latin flavor and musical genius.
As a youth in Harlem, his musical skills garnered him the attention of Puerto Rican and Cuban 'migr' band players. His brief stint with the Afro-Cuban band Los Happy Boys established Puente's signature performance style. The timbales -- large circle-shaped drum sets that became Puente's specialty -- were traditionally kept to the back of the stage and played seated. But Puente would have none of that -- he pushed right to the front of the stage and played standing. He danced with the drums, grinning joyously throughout the set, and audiences ate it up.
Tito Puente's 50-year career, which only ended with his death in May 2000, had a broad reach and a deep impact. He slowed down the rhythm of the mambo, helping to popularize this party-time cha-cha on dance floors in the 1950s. In the '70s, rocker Carlos Santana made Puente's funky "Oye Como Va" and "Para Los Rumberos" pop anthems for those who never knew they liked "Latin" music. The '80s saw Puente delving into Latin jazz with elaborate big bands. Along the way, he introduced the world to many other Latin legends, including Celia Cruz, Willie Chirino, Cachao, and Oscar de Leon. With more than 115 albums, Puente remains in popular memory as an ebullient showman and the reigning king of the mambo.
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