Tito Puente…leyenda viviente - músico, entrevista - Tt: Tito Puente … The Living Legend - TA: musician, interview - Entrevista

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2000 by Max Salazar

In July, 1972, Tito Puente, Charlie Palmieri and Joe Loco were partners in a music arranging business called "Band Aid." Bandleaders gave them charts and they would orchestrate the music. Their office was located on the fourth floor at 1674 Broadway, corner of 51st Street. It was during this time period that "Realidades," a popular weekly television show with New York Hispanics, proposed a one-hour program about the life and music of Tito Puente. This writer was selected to write the script. During three-hour segments, five days in a row, I interviewed Tito Puente and learned about his early childhood days. Other information about Puente was supplied by Machito, Mario Bauzá, José Curbelo, Miguelito Valdés, Vicentico Valdés, Al Santiago, Federico Pagani, Victoria Hernández (Rafael's sister), Gabriel Oller, Alfredito Valdés Sr., and Puente sidemen such as Jimmy Frisaura, Luis Varona, Vicentico Valdés, Mongo Santamaría, Willie Bobo, trumpeter Gene Rappetti, conguero Frank Colón and Charlie Palmieri. A script, "From 110th Street To Lincoln Center, was written and never utilized, as the project was cancelled.

The 1970s saw the Tito Puente orchestra at its lowest point in popularity. The reasons for it were the new music trends of Latin soul, disco, the hustle, minimal airplay and the Fania recording artists who were receiving three hours of radio prime time in New York City, San Juan and Los Angeles. In an effort to jumpstart Puente's comeback, Latin Times magazine publisher David Maldonado was one of several people to revive Puente's career with his publishing "TITO PUENTE, THE LIVING LEGEND," written by this writer and appearing in the February 1977 issue.

During the last three decades, the mere mention of "TP" to Latin Music aficionados meant only one thing, Tito Puente. Wherever these initials appeared, dancers congregated. Puente and Machito are the only survivors from the Korean War Era representing the new rhythm trends as well as the damnable jealousies that plagued their profession.

From the moment he first climbed a bandstand, Tito Puente has been building a crescendo of notable achievements that may never be duplicated. He has recorded 87 albums with his band; some forty-odd LPs featuring other well-known artists, and has produced many hits from his close to 200 compositions. He composes and arranges music; he proficiently plays timbales, trap drums, congo, drums, clave, piano, organ, saxophone, vibraharp; he sings in the chorus and dances like Louie Maquina used to. His orchestra has played in several South American countries, the Canal Zone, The Caribbean, Mexico, Hong Kong, Manila and Japan. All the musical trade magazines have lauded him and his band on more than one occasion. Downbeat, Metronome and Playboy magazine awards adorn the walls in his living room. Accompanying these honor scrolls are the many plaques and trophies awarded by newspapers, magazines, and heads of governments representing the countries that he has visited and conquered.

The TP legend began on April 20, 1923, when Ernest and Ercilla Puente gave birth to her first son in New York's Harlem Hospital. The boy, named Ernest after his father, was educated in New York City public schools. Then as a youngster, he showed an inclination toward music. He would be seen on school stairways, on corners, at parties, and in a quartet singing Sweet Sue, Just You, Am I Blue, and other popular tunes of the 1930s. At age 15, after seven years of musical training with several tutors, he was playing piano and working as a drummer. At this time he acquired the title "El Niño Prodijo," (the child prodigy).

Student days were followed by active duty for the country. During World War II Puente spent three years in the U.S. Navy aboard an aircraft carrier which encountered the enemy in the South Pacific. While serving on the carrier, the U.S.S. Santee, Seaman First Class Puente taught himself how to play the saxophone. Pilots, who in civilian life were top-notch arrangers, taught "Ernie" the rudiments of arranging pop and jazz music.

In 1945, Puente was honorably discharged after serving three years. The GI Bill of Rights enabled him to study the "Schillinger" system of musical composition under the tutelage of Professor Richard Bender, and to attend the Juilliard Conservatory of Music.

In 1949, after three years as a valuable sideman for a few of the well-known bands, Puente organized a ten-piece orchestra. His first six recordings were for the then newly formed Tico Record Company. Then, quite by accident, the Anglo's indifferent attitude toward Latinos began to change. Abaniquito, his second Tico recording, slowly grew in popularity and was well received by non-Latinos. The infectious Puente music compelled them to flock to the Palladium Ballroom to mambo. People of different ethnic groups got to know each other for the first time as they rubbed elbows and moved to the same rhythm. A mutual respect developed and stereotyping of Latinos diminished with the passing of time. In 1958, the coast-to-coast impact of Puente's smash RCA Victor album Dance Mania Vol. 1 left no doubt as to whom Latin Music's most popular bandleader was.