Tito Puente

El Rey de los Timbales — Brought timbales to the front of the band as a solo instrument; mambo and Latin jazz; 'Dance Mania' (1958); composed 'Oye Cómo Va'...

Tito Puente was the arranger and bandleader who ruled the Palladium era alongside Machito and Tito Rodríguez as one of its 'Three Kings.' His 'Dance Mania' (1958) stands as a landmark of New York's 1950s Latin jazz scene. Obsessively clave-conscious, he wrote the clave at the bottom of his scores and moved the timbales to the front of the bandstand as a lead, organizing instrument.

Role

bandleader, arranger, percussionist

Era

Mambo & Cha-Cha-Cha

Genre

Mambo

Origin

New York City (Spanish Harlem), United States