Tito Rodríguez a.k.a. "El Inolvidable" (The Unforgettable) (January 4, 1923… Read Full Bio ↴Tito Rodríguez a.k.a. "El Inolvidable" (The Unforgettable) (January 4, 1923-February 28, 1973) born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was a popular 1950's singer and bandleader.

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.

Tiemblas
Tito Rodriguez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tiemblas
Cada vez que me ves, yo sé que tiemblas
No hay misterios de tí, que yo no entienda
Por qué tratas de ocultar
Que yo soy parte de tí?

Vives
Esperando un amor que no recibes

Sin que llegue la dicha que persigues
Y es cosa muy natural!

Hubo un adiós que no derrotó al corazón
Igual que una raíz mi presencia quedó
Se que en la vida un día mandó la razón
Pero no se escapó del ayer tu corazón

Y por eso tiemblas
Cada vez que me ves, yo sé que tiemblas
Por qué tratas de ocultar
Que yo soy parte de tí?

Hubo un adiós

Overall Meaning

que no logró destruir el sentimiento que había entre nosotros. Mi presencia en tu vida es como una raíz que se ha aferrado a ti y no deja de inquietarte. Sin embargo, tú te empeñas en esconderme, como si no quisieras reconocer que soy parte importante de ti.

Por tu parte, tú sigues buscando un amor que parece no llegar nunca. Aun así, sigues esperando ese momento de dicha que anhelas. Y es que, aunque la razón a veces haya mandado en tu vida, tu corazón no ha logrado escapar del pasado.

Por todo eso, cada vez que me ves, tiemblas. Y es que nuestra conexión es tan fuerte que no puedes evitar sentir esa emoción intensa que nos une. A pesar de todo lo que ha pasado, seguimos siendo parte inseparable el uno del otro.

Line by Line Meaning

Tiemblas
You shake

Cada vez que me ves, yo sé que tiemblas
Every time you see me, I know you shake

No hay misterios de tí, que yo no entienda
There are no mysteries of you that I don't understand

Por qué tratas de ocultar
Why do you try to hide

Que yo soy parte de tí?
That I am a part of you?

Vives
You live

Esperando un amor que no recibes
Waiting for a love that you don't receive

Sin que llegue la dicha que persigues
Without the joy you pursue arriving

Y es cosa muy natural!
And it's very natural!

Hubo un adiós que no derrotó al corazón
There was a goodbye that didn't defeat your heart

Igual que una raíz mi presencia quedó
Like a root, my presence remained