Since the passing of legendary bandleader Tito Puente a whirlwind of well-wishers have endeavored to capture the essence of man seemingly too complex for words.
Defining Tito Puente
Ask fans and they’ll describe a brilliant, charismatic, exuberant performer whose wit and improvisational stage antics made for an unforgettable live show. Ask musicians and they’ll talk about an inspirational musical pioneer whose trailblazing accomplishments paved the way for the Latin explosion.
Ask industry executives and you’ll hear about a prolific ambassador who bridged the gaps of race, culture, economics, and age long before the expression “cross-over artist” was even coined. He was The Mambo King, the Master of Percussion, the Father of Latin Music, an icon, an idol, and a musical genius, but for many it seems the most important title Puente ever held was that of dear friend.
“He was a man who was in rhythm with life,” says Oscar Rivera, Manager and Partner of Tito Puente’s Restaurant in City Island, New York in a June 2000 phone interview. According to Rivera, Puente would visit the restaurant about four times per month, moving from table to table, chatting with diners and signing autographs. “People were always ecstatic to see him.”
Puente, the Charismatic Musical Visionary
Rivera notes that part of Puente’s mass appeal was his uncanny ability to make you feel like the important one. “You met him once and he instantly made you feel like a life-long friend. People really responded to that.” According to Rivera, Puente could also recall precise details about those he played for. “People would come up to him excited saying something like, ‘you played at my sister’s wedding in 1950 something.’ He would ask for a name, and then talk easily about the event and the people there. It was truly amazing.”
Puente, who was born in Spanish Harlem in 1923, kept close ties to the communities of his youth, even after moving to Rockland County, New York in 1976. “He never forgot his roots,” says Puente’s longtime friend and Bronx-based Musical Historian, Joe Canzen, in a June, 2000 phone interview. “A lot of famous people won’t go back home once they make it big, but Tito wasn’t that way.” Cazen describes a man who continued to play, dine and socialize in the Bronx and Spanish Harlem throughout his life. “He may have rested his head in Rockland, but his heart was always in the city.”
The Staying Power of Tito Puente
In an effort to explain the strong local appeal of the international entertainer, Canzen says, “Once he went to a place, he never left.” In addition to recording over 120 albums, winning five Grammy Awards, and forever changing the face of modern music, the artist consistently gave back to his communities through the Tito Puente Scholarship Fund. Started more than 20 years ago, the fund helps inner city children realize their own musical ambitions.
“I used to tease him by calling him the nth degree,” says Canzen, recalling Puente’s many television, movie and stage appearances. “There is no end to you, I’d say. You’re everywhere.” It seems that the world is beginning to understand that truth. “He may have left the planet in one sense,” says Canzen, “but he didn’t really leave. His legend and his music will always remain.”
Tim Toterhi - Tim Toterhi is the author of three novels: Barley Man and the Incredible Zukes, Robin’s Clutch, and MacLoughlin’s Game as well ...
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