Sophia Michaels
The legendary Tito Puente did it all: He was a percussionist, a bandleader, a songwriter, and a producer responsible for some of the most renowned mambo, Latin jazz, and salsa classics in music history. Today, fans get to celebrate his life achievements with a heart-warming Google Doodle that shows off and animates his iconic career.
Illustrated by Carlos Aponte and timed with Hispanic Heritage Month, the Doodle shows Puente as a kid in Spanish Harlem, where he was born in 1923. He showed in interest in music from the time he was young, often banging on pots and pans at home. In his early teens, he began drumming professionally and played with the influential Afro-Cuban jazz legend Machito. The animation goes on to show Puente’s time serving in the Navy during World War II, where he played marimba, alto saxophone, and 13 other instruments while serving as his ship’s bandleader. He attended the Juilliard School of Music on the G.I. Bill and won a reputation for lighting up dance floors with his skilled performances with his own band, the Tito Puente Orchestra.
“Tito was part of my musical experience growing up in Puerto Rico,” Aponte explained in a statement. “My aunt introduced me to Tito Puente via La Lupe, a famous singer in Puerto Rico and New York. Tito was like a Svengali for talents like Celia Cruz. He was a household name. So Tito was part of my Puerto Rican soundtrack.”
Puente, who passed away in 2000, left behind more than 100 albums and major hits, such as the popular classic “Oye Como Va,” famously covered by Santana. The Doodle honors both Puente’s work ethic and dedication: “Love what you do, train, study, and be the best you can be,” Aponte says. “If you excel, everything else will fall into place. There are no shortcuts. Those who make it easily don’t last long. Tito was a perfect example; he was the best.”
One year ago today, Puente was honored with the Tito Puente Monument, which went up in East Harlem. The Harlem street where he grew up, East 110th Street, was also renamed Tito Puente Way as a tribute to him.
