His music education - on piano - began in Manhattan, spurred on by his mother, who would secretly take 25 cents for the class from his father's coat pocket. From then on, his solos were instantly a star attraction.Įrnesto 'Tito' Puente Jr, the son of a factory foreman, was born and raised in New York, though he spent a few years as a child with his family in Puerto Rico and remained devoted to the island and its culture for life.
In the late 30s, while playing with the band of Cuban singer Machito, he dragged his timbales drum kit to the front of the stage and never went back into the shadows. He had a childlike delight at jokes and teasing, and realised very early on the significance of giving a performance more than just musical. Puente was a musician's musician, a composer, arranger and bandleader, and a showman. His last concert in April was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In February this year, he received his fifth Grammy - for the Mambo Birdland album - and was recently honoured by the US government on a postage stamp. Puente had never contemplated retirement. In home territories in South America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, his reputation was summed up by his singing partner of nearly 50 years, the queen to his king, Celia Cruz: "Our world is in mourning because one of the souls of Latin music has died." The greatest ambassador for Latin music in the 20th century, his impassioned style of Latin jazz, his high-energy drumming and delicate vibraphone playing attracted adoring audiences for decades in countries as far removed from Latin America as China and Japan, Russia and the UK. Tito Puente, who has died aged 77, was known as the king of Latin jazz, El Rey del Timbal, "Mambo King" or simply 'El Rey'.