That being said, I now present to you a look (very brief to be certain, the number of artists and groups that could have been included here is endless) at Latin Rock, namely its two best known artists: Tito Puente and Santana (both Carlos Sanata as a solo artist and the band). Although they are from different eras and are inspired from different genres of music, it is nearly impossible to imagine one without the other; Tito breaking musical barriers with his compositions, Santana with their performances. Both artists continued to be successful in recent times, Puente continuing to deliver performances with his All-Star Jazz Band and Santana having recently released the most successful album of his career, Supernatural.
Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr., of Puerto Rican decent, was born in Spanish Harlem in New York, 20 April 1923. He originally intended to be a dancer, but this dream was ended by an unfortunate injury at an early age (he tore an ankle tendon). He began his career in percussion at the age of seven (taking, as many children of that age do, piano lessons) and by the time he was ten, had moved to drums and auxiliary percussion. When he was thirteen, he began his professional career as a drummer with the orchestra of Noro Morales, as well as working in Ramon Olivero's big band, also as a drummer (big band would prove to be a large source of inspiration for Puente). In 1941, he played with the Machito band, a popular latin ensemble of the time, and one of the pioneers of latin-jazz. During World War Two, Puente was drafted into the Navy, where his interest for big band music would grow. After his discharge three years later, he studied piano, orchestration and composition at Juilliard and the the New York School Of Music. He continued to perform with various groups, and, in 1947, he performed with Tito Rodriguez, who was to become his arch-rival. Puente was such an effective arranger by that time, he was recieving requests to do arrangments from bandleaders who were supposed to be in competition with him.
Go To Page: 1 2
