Tito Puente Essay

Abstract Tito Puente was born on April 20 of 1923, in New York City to parents of Puerto Rican descendant. Tito Puente also known as the "King of Latin Jazz," was well-known for his Latin music because of his use of various styles and how he implemented different sounds on to it. In 1948, Tito Puente wanted to find a way to be more noticed and that’s when he orchestrated the band “Tito Puente Orchestra.” Tito Puente, a musical pioneer, mixed different music styles with Latin sounds to create a unique sound. He also mixed Jazz with Latin tunes in order to bring a different vibe to the music industry. Many fail to see the inspiration and legacy he has left behind for many Latin artists. He became a Latin icon by bringing hope and providing

He kept music as a hobby and in 1942 he got drafted into the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. He was discharged with a Presidential Unit Citation for serving in nine battles on the escort carrier USS Santee .He was given the opportunity to study music at Juilliard School. Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian. All in which he made his family proud. In the 1950s, Puente’s music career was making progress and was becoming well known. A trained musician, he was also a fine, lyrical vibraphonist, a gifted arranger, and played piano, congas, bongos, and saxophone. His band was asked to perform in local areas in New York, then began making great hits all over the states. Puente then came to received the title “King of Mambo” for his role in popularizing the fast-paced, rhythmic form of Cuban

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. Also, 1993 Puente received numerous awards for his work, including five Grammy Award. The first in which he won on 1979 for the album Homenaje a Beny. Puente went on to garner two more Grammys in the 1980s, for his traditional Latin jazz albums “On Broadway” and “Mambo Diablo”. He then won the fourth Grammy in 1990 for “Goza Mi Timbal”. In 1999, Puente was awarded an honorary degree at Columbia University. The following year, he received a fifth Latin Grammy Award for “Mambo