Tito Puente

Tito Puente
Puente in 1996
Background information
Birth nameErnest Anthony Puente Jr.
Born(1923-04-20)April 20, 1923
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
DiedMay 31, 2000(2000-05-31) (aged 77)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
  • Latin jazz
  • Cuban jazz
  • mambo
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active1946–2000
Labels
  • Tico
  • Fania
  • Sony Discos
  • RMM
  • Concord Picante

Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000),[1] commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also known as “El Rey de los Timbales,” or “The King of the Timbales.”

Puente and his music have appeared in films including The Mambo Kings and Fernando Trueba's Calle 54. He guest-starred on television shows, including Sesame Street and The Simpsons's sixth season finale/season seven premiere two-parter "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" as himself (and one of the suspects in Mr. Burns' attempted murder, only to prove that he did not do it because he would rather perform a scathing song about Burns than shoot him).

  1. ^ Tito Puente biography. BookRags.com. Retrieved October 31, 2012.