7 Tito Puente 7

age of mambo, a dance form of Cuban origin; his infectious
energy and dynamic stage presence quickly made him a
star. As his reputation grew, so too did his repertoire,
through the addition of other Latin and Afro-Cuban dance
rhythms such as Dominican merengue, Brazilian bossa
nova, and Cuban cha-cha. The term salsa first appeared in
the 1960s, when it was used to describe the music that had
been the mainstay of Puente’s repertoire for decades.
Although salsa—as a specific genre—is rooted in the Cuban
son music, the term has often been applied generically to a
wide variety of popularized Latin dance forms, such as
those performed by Puente. Aside from his activities as a
bandleader and instrumentalist, Puente also wrote many
songs, among which “Babarabatiri,” “Ran Kan Kan,” and
“Oye Como Va” have been the most popular.
In the course of his career, Puente recorded some 120
albums and maintained a busy performance schedule,
appearing with leading jazz musicians such as George
Shearing and Woody Herman, as well as with many stars of
Latin music and, in later years, with symphony orchestras.
He also performed in several films, including Radio Days
(1987) and The Mambo Kings (1992), and was responsible
for introducing American audiences to a number of Latin
musicians, most notably Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Puente
received five Grammy Awards as well as numerous other
honours, and he played 200 to 300 engagements a year
until shortly before his death in 2000.

Hank Williams

(b. Sept. 17, 1923, Georgiana, Ala., U.S.—d. Jan. 1, 1953, Oak Hill, W.Va.)

A

merican singer, songwriter, and guitarist Hank
Williams (born Hiram King Williams) in the 1950s
arguably became country music’s first superstar. An
immensely talented songwriter and an impassioned