Tito (born: Pablo Rodríguez Lozada) became interested in music as a child. He was always surrounded by musical toys, such as guitars, pianos and trumpets. His older brother, Johnny Rodríguez, was a song composer and bandleader, who inspired Tito to become a musician.
In 1936, 13 year old Tito joined the group of Ladislao (El Maestro Ladí) Martínez, "Industrias Nativas" as a singer and when he was 16 years old, he participated in a recording with the Mayari Cuartet. In 1940, Tito immigrated to New York City shortly after his parents, Jose and Severina died. He went to live with his brother Johnny, who had been living there since 1935.
In New York, Tito found a job as a singer and bongo player for the orchestra of Eric Madriguera. In 1941, he recorded "Amor Guajiro", "Acercate Mas" (Get Closer) and "Se Fue la Comparsa". In 1942, Tito joined the band of Xavier Cugat, and recorded "Bin, Bam, Bum" and "Ensalada de Congas" (Conga Salad).
Tito joined and served in the U.S. Army for one year. After he was discharged, he returned to New York where he joined the orchestra of Jose Carbelo. On one occasion, the band performed at the China Doll Cabaret. There he met a young Japanese chorus girl by the name of Tobi Kei (b. Takeku Kunimatsu, 23 January 1925, Bellingham, Washington, USA), who was to become his wife.
In 1947, Tito made his "solo" debut and finally organized his own band, which he named "Los Diablos del Mambo". In 1950, he enrolled in The Juilliard School of the Performing Arts, where he studied the vibrophone, xylophone and percussion.
He renamed his band "Los Lobos del Mambo" and later he dropped the name altogether. That's when he decided to go with the name "The Tito Rodriguez Orchestra". The first song that he recorded under the bands new name which became a "hit" was "Besame La Bemba" (Kiss My Big Lips). In 1952, he was honored for having developed his own unique singing style by the "Century Conservatory of Music of New York". His orchestra won the "Gran Trofeo Award" for two consecutive years.
In 1953, Tito heard a percussionist, by the name of Cheo Feliciano. So impressed was Tito that he offered Cheo a job in his band and hired him. Tito discovered that Cheo also knew how to sing and gave him an opportunity to sing at the Palladium Ballroom.
Eventually, Cheo went to work for another band but, the friendship between them lasted for the rest of their lives. Among the other orchestras that played at the Palladium, where the Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente orchestras.
A rivalry which was to last for years, quickly developed between the two Tito's. The popular latin music craze at the time was the cha-cha and the merengue. With the beginning of the 1960s, all that was going to change with the popularity gained by rock music. Latino bands began to switch their styles and started playing more salsa and boogaloo, which was more attractive to the latin youth.
Tito decided to try his luck with boleros and recorded an album titled "Inolvidable" (Unforgettable), which is considered by many to be his greatest "hit". It sold over a million and a half copies world wide. He also produced records for other groups, such as Los Hispanos and Los Montemar.
The feud between the two Tito's was reflected on some of Rodriguez's recordings. "Avisale a Mi Contrario Que Aqui Estoy Yo" (Tell My Counterpart That I Am Here) and "Que Pena Me Da" (I Pity You), are just two examples of the bad feelings between both of them.
Tito returned to Puerto Rico in 1970 and built a Japanese style house in Santurce, where he lived with his family. Tito produced his own television show called "El Show de Tito Rodriguez" which was transmitted through channel 7. Among the special guest stars which appeared in his show were, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and Shirley Basey. Tito also founded his own recording studio called TR Records.
Tito's last public appearance was with Machito and his Band on February 2, 1973 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tito Rodríguez died of leukemia on February 28, 1973, in his Coral Gables, Florida home where he had recently moved with wife.
Condenado a La Distancia
Tito Rodriguez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y sufro y lloro por culpa de tu amor...
Me gusta amarte así con la secreta dicha de saber
Que no me quieres
Porque amándote mi amor sin que lo sepas
Y siempre he de quererte de este modo
Y tú eres mi todo...
Sin que me des nada...
Me gusta amarte así con la secreta dicha de saber
Que no me hieres
Porque amándote mi amor sin que lo sepas
Y siempre he de quererte de este modo
Yo soy la nada que te lo da todo
Y tú eres mi todo...
Sin que me des nada... nada... nada... nada...
In Tito Rodriguez's song "Condenado a La Distancia" (Sentenced to Distance), the lyrics express the singer's experience of living with the pain and suffering caused by being separated from their loved one. The distance between them is a source of difficulty and sorrow, which is attributed to the love they share.
The first verse conveys a bittersweet feeling of finding joy in loving someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings. The singer takes pleasure in secretly cherishing the knowledge that their beloved doesn't love them back. Despite this, they continue to love their significant other without their knowledge, enduring the challenges brought about by their unrequited affection.
The following lines emphasize the profound sacrifice the singer is willing to make in their love. The singer acknowledges that they are nothing in comparison to their beloved, but they willingly give them everything they have. The disparity in their feelings is stark, as the singer feels their beloved is their entire world while receiving nothing in return.
The repetition of the phrase "Me gusta amarte así" (I like loving you like this) further emphasizes the complicated nature of the singer's emotions. They find solace in the secret joy of loving someone who doesn't hurt them, possibly because the absence of reciprocation shields them from rejection or pain.
In the final lines, the singer declares their eternal commitment to their beloved. They state that they will always love them in this manner, as they persist in loving someone who gives them nothing in return. The repetition of "nada" (nothing) underscores the singer's selflessness and the depths of their love, even though they receive nothing in exchange.
Overall, "Condenado a La Distancia" explores the singer's experience of being emotionally condemned and isolated due to their unrequited love, finding solace in the secret joy of their feelings while enduring the agony of distance and a lack of reciprocation.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo vivo condenado a la distancia
I live condemned to the distance
Y sufro y lloro por culpa de tu amor...
And I suffer and cry because of your love...
Me gusta amarte así con la secreta dicha de saber
I enjoy loving you like this, with the secret joy of knowing
Que no me quieres
that you don't love me
Porque amándote mi amor sin que lo sepas
Because loving you, my love, without you knowing
Y siempre he de quererte de este modo
And I will always love you in this way
Yo soy la nada que te lo da todo
I am the nothingness that gives you everything
Y tú eres mi todo...
And you are my everything...
Sin que me des nada...
Without you giving me anything...
Me gusta amarte así con la secreta dicha de saber
I enjoy loving you like this, with the secret joy of knowing
Que no me hieres
that you don't hurt me
Porque amándote mi amor sin que lo sepas
Because loving you, my love, without you knowing
Y siempre he de quererte de este modo
And I will always love you in this way
Yo soy la nada que te lo da todo
I am the nothingness that gives you everything
Y tú eres mi todo...
And you are my everything...
Sin que me des nada... nada... nada... nada...
Without you giving me anything... anything... anything... anything...
Writer(s): Manuel Sucher, Alberto Mastra
Contributed by Elena R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salsero
Pablo Tito Rodríguez Lozad,a fue el segundo de los diez hijos del matrimonio formado por José Rodríguez Fuentes y Severiana Lozada, que nacio en el Barrio Obrero de Santurce, Puerto Rico. Desde su niñez, mostró gran interés en la música y yá en su niñez organizó e integró el conjunto Sexteto Nacional, junto a su amigo desde ese tiempo, el músico Mariano Artau, quien lo cataloga como el mejor interprete y musico boricua. Luego, a los 13 años integró el Conjunto de Industrias Nativas que dirigía el músico Ladislao Martínez, con la cual grabó su primer tema, titulado Amor perdido en 1937. Al año siguiente, le invitan a formar parte del grupo Cuarteto Mayarí junto con los guitarristas, Manuel Jiménez y Francisco "Paquito" Sánchez y el trompetista Plácido Acevedo. Tito tocaba las maracas y hacía la segunda voz en el conjunto, experiencia que nunca fue grabada pues permaneció solo cuatro meses con el grupo.
La isla de Puerto Rico pasaba en ese momento por una situación económica difícil influenciada por la "Gran Depresión" estadounidense; es esta circunstancia la que lleva a Tito a escribirle a su hermano, el músico y cantante Johnny Rodríguez, quien residía en Nueva York desde 1935, expresándole su deseo de marcharse. Había concluido sus estudios de bachillerato y sus padres habían fallecido, lo que precipitó su partida.
En Nueva York
En 1939, Tito Rodríguez, con 16 años de edad, llegó a Nueva York esperanzado en trabajar como cantante y trazar su propia ruta musical. En un principio hizo apariciones en la orquesta de su hermano Johnny y poco después logró cantar con el Cuarteto Marcano, con el cual grabó sus primeros discos en Nueva York. En el 1942 Rodríguez canta en la popular orquesta del momento, la del catalán Xavier Cugat, sustituyendo al gran sonero cubano Miguelito “Babalú” Valdés. Con Xavier Cugat, Rodríguez grabó un solo tema titulado "Bim Bam Bum" (de Noro Morales) el 20 de julio del 1942. Después de permanecer un año en las fuerzas armadas de los EUA, Rodríguez regresa al mundo del espectáculo para vincularse con la orquesta del maestro Noro Morales, por cerca de 5 años, alcanzando a grabar tres LP con el sello Seco en 1945; fueron reeditado en un CD de colección Rumbas y Mambo en 1993, con el sello Tumbao.
Tito al fondo con las maracas al lado del bongosero para 1946 en la orquesta del puertorriqñeño Noro Morales, con alrededor de 22 a 23 años.
Luego de estar cerca de 5 años con Noro Morales, ingresa a la Orquesta de Jose Curbelo. Como anécdota de esta época, se cuenta que un día de 1947, Rodríguez pidió permiso a Curbelo para atender a su esposa enferma, pero realmente el cantante estaba tomando licor en un bar. Curbelo lo despidió y Tito estuvo desempleado largo tiempo. Después dirigió un quinteto de corta duración y luego funda la orquesta "Mambo Devils" (Los Demonios del Mambo), en la cual se hace ya referencia al ritmo que impondría desde entonces y que ahora se conoce comúnmente como Salsa.
tarterie rd
Mi favorita de Tito... una canción que la escuché por primera vez por mi abuelo materno.. una joya !!
Julio Rodriguez
Con esta cancion, conociendo a Tito Rodriguez. Y su orquesta,me hive fan de El,la cancion,Las notas,melodia. Y afinacion me hizo seguirlo en lo adelante Como Bolerista
fabio montaño
dedicado solo a las mujer que dejo un recuerdo muy especial en mi corazon para la etrernidad de los boleros inmortales de tito rodriguez
Marie Mcdougall
Canciones del ayer, canciones que me traen tantos recuerdos. Año 1972, cuando comencé una nueva etapa en mi vida. Me casé con el hombre que amaba, pero la vida cambió nuestro rumbo. Por eso estás canciones me transportan a esa época.
Danilza Velazquez
Conoci a uno de sus promotores o manager y dijo que era un hombre muy perfeccionista; que antes de cada presentación inspeccionaba el escenario hasta el más mínimo detalle.
Elena Isabel García Rojas
Desde niña oi esta canción. Es una de mis eternas favoritas. Bellísima letra y música.
Jesus Rivera
Él único e inolvidable cantante por haber sido el mejor d todos los tiempos (por q yo nací en el 1974) el Sr. Tito Rodríguez. Sea recordado siempre...👍😉
Raul Fuertes
Es uno de los más grandes artistas de verdadero respeto.
Meralte Mendez
Recuerdo mi infancia, mis padres, mis hermanos y buenos amigos.
Lydia Llera
Era uno de mis favoritos, esa si que eran canciones bellas, me da mucha nostalgia al oír sus canciones