Tito Puente (1923-2000) was a bandleader, percussionist, composer, and arranger from New York City. Born Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr., on April 20, 1923, in el barrio Spanish harlem, New York, Puente was a musical pioneer for mixing musical styles with Latin sounds and for his experiments in fusing
Latin music with
jazz. The son of Puerto Rican immigrants, Puente grew up in New York City's Spanish Harlem and took piano lessons as a child and then studied
percussion. He became a professional musician at age 13. Tito Puente later learned to play a number of instruments, including…
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