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 the piano, saxophone, vibraphone, and timbales (paired high-pitched drums). After an apprenticeship in the historic Machito Orchestra, he was drafted and served in the navy during World War II.
Once he returned to New York in 1945, Puente used money from the G.I. Bill to study at the famed Juilliard School of Music. He formed a band that would later be known as the Tito Puente Orchestra in 1948. By the 1950s, crowds came to see his band play and Puente became a Latin music sensation. In 1958, his best-selling album, Dance Mania, was released. More hit records followed as the world enjoyed the way Puente put a big band spin on traditional Latin dances.
He added other Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms to his repertoire, including cha cha, merengue, bossa nova, and salsa, and among his notable songs are Babarabatiri, Ran Kan Kan, and Oye Como Va. Puente also performed with leading jazz performers, including George Shearing and Woody Herman, as well as with many stars of Latin music and, in later years, with symphony orchestras.
During a career that spanned more than five decades, Puente became a musical legend in Latin music and jazz circles. He made more than 100 albums and created more than 200 compositions. Puente received numerous awards for his work, including five Grammy Awards. Sometimes called the "King of Latin Jazz" or simply "El Rey" - The King - he made an indelible mark on the popular culture. The writer Oscar Hijuelos made him a character in his 1989 novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, and Puente appeared as himself in the 1992 film adaptation. He also guest starred on numerous television shows, such as The Simpsons.
Tito Puente died on May 31, 2000, while in the hospital for heart surgery in New York, New York. Adored by his fans, many people waited in line for days to say good-bye to the popular bandleader.
Cha Cha Cha
Tito Puente Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
aqui ritmo de la vida cha cha cha
The lyrics "Vamos todo al mundo a gozar" literally translates to "Let's all go enjoy the world" and this is a call to everyone to come and join in the celebration of life through dance. The phrase "aqui ritmo de la vida cha cha cha" which means "here is the rhythm of life, cha cha cha" highlights the idea that salsa music, specifically the cha cha cha, is a powerful force for uniting people from different backgrounds and bringing them together in a shared experience of joy and happiness.
The song is a collaboration between two legendary bandleaders, Tito Puente and Woody Herman, who combined their respective genres of Latin jazz and big band swing to create a vibrant hybrid sound. The song's upbeat tempo, syncopated rhythms, and catchy melodies lend themselves perfectly to the cha cha cha dance style, which originated in Cuba in the 1950s and quickly spread throughout Latin America and beyond.
Overall, "Cha Cha Chick" is a celebration of life, love, and the power of music to bring people together. It is an invitation to everyone to let loose, dance, and enjoy the beauty of the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Vamos todo al mundo a gozar
Let's go all over the world and enjoy ourselves
aqui ritmo de la vida cha cha cha
Here we have the rhythm of life, the cha cha cha
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY COEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Texas_Cruiser
This is a masterpiece...the trump, sax, flute, Tito doing his thing, and everything else in between. What a life he must have lived to be part of this amazing music.
@tanosway3470
"The Trump"? Make cha cha cha great again(? xd
@Texas_Cruiser
@Tano's Way ha! 😆
@abeljeremias
Una joya musical. La mejor mescal de profesionalismo y ritmo, sencillez y complejidad combinada. Vivan Chucho Valdés y Tito Puente.
@philbarbour2360
I spent many nights at the palladium enjoying all the best latin musicians of the era!
@luisn8935
excelente producción del gran Tito, una de mis favoritas qué Dios lo tenga en su seno junto a otras grandes luminarias del latin jazz. Saludos desde Guatemala tierra del Quetzal
@fanettesoulard5741
La meilleure version à mon avis, par la richesse de ses solos et le groove de ses harmonisations, du célèbre "Calzada del Cerro" de l'immense Chucho Valdes. Jean-Luc Hennebelle
@marielavillalobos5337
Me encanta esta pieza musical.
..una de las mejores de Tito Puente
@olds1978
Impresionante!!! Tremendos solos!!!
@regalyt
LAS DOS VERSIONES SON MAGNIFICAS..ESTA TIENE UNA DISTINCION POR SU EJECUSION Y SUS MOVIENTOS CLAROS....PERO LA DE IRAKERE TIENE ESE SABOR PROFUDO DEL JAZZ QUE HIPNOTIZA ......!