This week’s third artist is Tito Puente, legendary band conductor and percussionist. I chose Tito Puente because while I know the type of music that he made I don’t know a lot about his life or his work. Born and raised in Spanish Harlem New York his ability to combine Latin music with Jazz is what made him so respected in the business. Creating more that 200 compositions and releasing over a 100 albums in his lifetime Tito Puente began his career taking piano and percussion lessons. Learning to play several instruments such as saxophone, vibraphone, Congas, and timbales he landed an apprenticeship in the Machito Orchestra. After his apprenticeship he was drafted and served in World War II. Once he returned home in 1945 he attended Julliard School of Music. In 1948 he formed Tito Puente Orchestra and began performing for live audiences. Gaining notoriety with his band’s album Maria Dance in 1958 the Tito Puente Orchestra would continue to thrive. Adding more and more layers to its music with a mixture of Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms like merengue, salsa, and cha cha. Tito Puente passed away in 2000 after during surgery. But his legacy lives on in his music, several guest appearances on various movies, sitcoms, and shows. He and his orchestra received 5 Grammys and an array of other music honors as well. Tito Puente will forever be known as the King of Latin music.
This Weeks fourth artist is Bob Marley. I chose to compare these two artists because I see some similarities in the instrumentation but the there are some distinct cultural influences in each. Puente uses a lot of percussion; you can hear sticks, congas, and cowbells you hear the Jazz influences trumpets and flutes. Marley did the same but used electric bass and Wa-Wa Guitars. Marley used more of a constant bounce in their grooves and at times had more of a message with their music. Born and raised in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica Bob Marley is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player. Bob Marley gained inspiration from American music in Juke Boxes and radio. He started his career when he and Livingston, and Tosh formed the Wailers in 1963. In 1964 the group would add Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso and Cherry Smith. The first single would be “Simmer Down” which saw success on the Jamaican charts. The group would split for a short time before reforming in 1966 with its three original members embracing the Rastafarian movement that was going on around their country. Marley would see success with working with artists like Peter Nash on “Stir It Up”, while scoring a number of hits such as “Soul Rebel” with his band. In 1970 the group added Aston Barrett on bass and his brother, drummer Carlton Barrett on drums. The group landed a deal with Island Records in 1972 and release its first full studio album Catch a Fire in 1973. Bob Marley would die from cancer in 1981. Receiving several awards and honors such as the Medal of Peace from the United Nations. He also left a music and cultural legacy selling over 20 million records during his lifetime.
Works Cited
Biography.com Editors. (2016). Bob Marley Biography. Retrieved 02 13, 2016, from The Biography.com website: http://www.biography.com/people/bob-marley-9399524#death-and-memorial
Bob Marley Foundation. (2016). Biography. Retrieved 02 13, 2016, from BobMarley.com: http://www.bobmarley.com/history/
Discogs. (2016). Tito Puente. Retrieved 02 13, 2016, from Discogs.com: https://www.discogs.com/artist/19594-Tito-Puente
Last.fm Ltd. (2012, 06 06). Biography, 8. (HarFang, Editor) Retrieved 02 13, 2016, from Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Tito+Puente/+wiki
ShanaBurwell 
Hi Shana,
Cool post on your blog this was an interesting read on artists Tito Puente and Bob Marley. The first thing I found interesting about your blog post was how Tito Puente created over 200 compositions and releasing more than 100 albums in his music career. Another interesting fact was his ability to learn a variety of instruments throughout his career that landed him a role in the Machito Orchestral apprentice. An interesting fact that I liked about your blog was the backstory of Bob Marley and how he was inspired by American music. Both artists played an influential role in the world of music and I agree that these artists had some similarities with certain instruments that they used. Good job and thinks for this informational post about these two artists.
-Terry
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