A Page From the Past: Tito Puente Honored at the Tower Suite, 1977 - Reimpresión

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2001 by Max Salazar

(Between 1974 and 1976, the Tito Puente orchestra did not record. It was low in the popularity polls. For the first time since the early '50s, Puente's name was not among Latin New York's ten most popular bandleaders. The situation changed after Puente's orchestra was seen coast to coast on Dinah Shore's July 30th TV show at 4 p.m. Puente's arrangement of his original Fiesta A La King started the band's comeback to a spot among the most popular ten bands. On November 17, 1976, Puente's orchestra recorded Fiesta A La King at the Bell Tone studios for an album titled The Legend, which was released in March 1977. In the April, 1977 issue of Latin Times magazine, the following story was published...)

On the Wednesday evening of February 9, 1977, Latin Times Magazine honored Tito Puente at the Time-Life Building's Tower Suite located at 50th Street and Avenue of the Americas. The nightclub, located in the swank penthouse on the 48th floor, began to swell after 7 p.m. with well-known personalities from the entertainment and media fields. Among the over 500 guests at the fete were Machito, Celia Cruz, Pedro Knight, Charlie Palmieri, La Lupe, Ray Barretto, Louie Ramírez, Héctor Rivera, Lou Pérez, Orlando Marín, Joe Quijano, Rubén Blades, Judge John Carro and the lovely Fannie Foxe, who was accompanied by Joe Cain. For one-and-a-half hours beginning at 7 p.m., Puente's rare recordings such as Abaniquito, Babarabatiri, La Gloria Eres Tu, Lo Dicen Todos, Ran Kan Kan and Vibe Mambo came through the speakers recessed in the ceiling.

At 9 p.m. the Puente orchestra set up and opened with Mambo Fiesta, an infectious mambo from his yet-to-be-released Tico LP, The Legend. The participants danced to live and recorded music until 11 p.m., at which time Machito, as master of ceremonies, took over the microphone and began the presentation festivities. He spoke about Puente, who had been a member of Machito's band as a teenager.

"Tito was a kid then, and he was not used to staying up late. We used to kid him. We tied his leg to the chair while he played drums to prevent him from falling off in the event he fell asleep."

Charlie Palmieri was then called to the microphone and in a serious tone, he said: "I want to thank Latin Times Magazine for the opportunity to bestow this tribute on a most talented bandleader. I have known Tito Puente since we met at the old musician's union hall almost 30 years ago. He was then the contractor for Fernando Alvarez's Copacabana (nightclub) samba band, and he gave me the band's piano chair. We worked together as sidemen, and as I played with him I heard drumming and timbal playing I had never heard before. His arrangements were ahead of their time. While he was still with the Copa band, Tito organized his group, for which I played piano at the Palladium Ballroom every Sunday afternoon. It was Tito who inspired me to study composition and arranging. Many people still do not know that Tito is a fine pianist and that he was the first to introduce the vibraphone in Latin music (Cugat introduced the marimba). Aside from being a top-notch composer and arranger, Tito is most famous for his timbal work. Prior to his drumming popularity, most musicians wanted to be pianists because of Anselmo Sacassas, Gilberto Frank Ayala and Noro Morales. It was Tito who popularized the timbal and inspired hundreds of drummers who followed his steps. I am not the only one who has passed through the ranks of his famous band. There have been others like Gil López, Santos Colón, Manny Oquendo, Frankie Colón, Luis Varona, Mandy Visoso, Frankie Figueroa, Gilberto Monroig, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaría, Vicentico Valdés, Frank "El Pavo" Hernández, Ray Barretto and Johnny Pacheco. Lastly, the only female vocalist Tito has had is Sophy, who today is one of Puerto Rico's television stars. Happily for me, Tito and I are still working together. We have made many recordings together. He arranges for my band, and we have a business in which we arrange music. We write for whomever wants our services. I now raise my glass to a great talent, a fine musician, and most important to me, my good friend, Tito Puente."

Palmieri raised his glass toward the smiling white-haired bandleader and a bust of Tito Puente was unveiled. The sighs of the audience were drowned by tumultuous applause. Cameras clicked and flashes of white lights continued for several minutes. Puente, with a surprised look, broke out in a broad smile, walked off the bandstand and looked at the bust created by Francisco Marcos. He studied it for a few seconds, then bent over to read the inscription which read, "Tito Puente--The King of Latin Music. . . for being Latin music's most popular ambassador during the last 25 years... Latin Times Magazine, February 9, 1977." Puente, moved by the tribute, asked his wife Margie to share the spotlight with him during the momentous occasion. Mr. & Mrs. Puente stood behind the bust as movie cameras rolled and flash bulbs popped. Once back at the bandstand, he held the microphone and thanked Machito, Charlie Palmieri, and all who turned out for the occasion. He paused as if reminiscing, then praised the former members of his orchestra and was reminded by Latin music historian Joe Conzo that he had forgotten to mention Gilberto Monroig. The guests applauded in a frenzy when he mentioned Celia Cruz and La Lupe, both of whom contributed to his collection of hits. The applause had not subsided when he reached into his pocket, removed a folded piece of paper, glanced at it, and began to speak. During the speech, he became so emotional that he had to pause for a few seconds before he could continue.