Latin percussion donates percussion instruments to renamed Tito Puente education complex

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2005

East Harlem School Receives LP Aspire Brand Congas, Djembe Drums and Assorted Percussion

East Harlem, New York-based Junior High School 117M posthumously honored "The King of Latin Music," Tito Puente, by officially renaming it the Tito Puente Education Complex in a ceremony Thursday, December 9, 2004. The school, located at 240 East 109th Street (between Second and Third Avenues), is only blocks away from where Tito Puente spent his childhood years.

Members of the Puente family, including his wife, Margie, as well as his children Ron and Audrey, were in attendance. They were joined by New York Governor George Pataki, Congressman Charlen Rangel, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education Joel I. Klein, native Bronx drummer, educator and LP artist Bobby Sanabria, Latin jazz flutist Dave Valentín, and LP Founder Martin Cohen, among hundreds of other attendees.

"We are honored that The Tito Puente Education Complex will continue my father's legacy of music education for so many of this community's talented students," said Ron Puente. "We also appreciate the fact that Latin Percussion generously donated new percussion instruments for the children to learn on."

The Tito Puente Education Complex houses several programs, including Talented and Gifted Elementary School, The Christopher Burke School, Technical Institute for Multicultural Education, Talented and Gifted Institute for Young Scholars, Mount Sinai School Health Based Clinic, and Tito Puente Performing Arts Academy. This diverse community serves over 1,000 students in grades K-8.