This week’s Community Conversation on Latin Jazz in pop culture has gotten very little feedback thus far, so I decided to present some examples of this mixture. Some of us may hold issues with the lack of artistry inherent in popular culture, but it reaches a massive audience. While Latin Jazz certainly has a wide group of passionate supporters, the majority of the general public overlooks it. Latin Jazz needs to tap into popular culture while maintaining a sense of artistic integrity - a precarious position indeed, but also a realistic necessity. A connection to popular culture ensures the survival of Latin Jazz into the distant future and helps boost the careers of current artists.

No one understood the importance of blending Latin Jazz with popular culture more than “El Rey” himself, Tito Puente. He consistently aligned himself with people and situations that would allow him to reach the widest possible audience. A consummate showman, Puente always enjoyed himself and remained sensitive to his audience’s experience. At the same time, Puente maintained a high level of artistry - all Latin musicians cite Puente as a musical master. Although high art didn’t always fit into pop culture contexts, Puente applied significant creativity to find an equal balance that entertained people and respected his art. Puente regularly experienced the best of both worlds; musicians respected him and the public loved him.

I’ve compiled four video examples of Puente’s journey through pop culture. As you watch, consider the audience that Puente reached through these performances. Then think about the possibilities of multiple Latin Jazz artists receiving this type of exposure. Sharing high quality and fun music with massive amounts of people spreads the importance of Latin Jazz pretty quickly - it makes inspiring food for thought. Enjoy!

Tito Puente on The Cosby Show
Bill Cosby has always been a huge supporter of all types of jazz. From hosting jazz festivals to assisting in recordings, Cosby has built a strong relationship with the jazz world. The Cosby Show regularly served as a stage for a number of jazz guest artists. This clip features Puente, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Art Blakey, and more taking part in a jam session.

Tito Puente on the David Letterman Show
Puente also understood the importance of stepping outside the music and just having a good time. While you do see him jamming with Paul Schaffer and the Latin Night Band near the end of the clip, he brings big attention to himself by goofing around on a ladder with David Letterman and Bill Cosby.

Tito Puente on Sesame Street
Young people are the future of any music, and Puente recognized the importance of the younger generation to Latin Jazz. He got them listening to the music early, exposing them to a sound that they would find later in life. Puente shares his art and connects with everyone - he even gets Oscar the grouch to dance.

Tito Puente Tribute at the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The premier of the Latin Grammy Awards served as the perfect forum to recognize the recently deceased Puente. An all-star band that included Sheila E on timbales, Andy Garcia on bongó, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, and Dave Valentin on flute performed a medley of Puente hits. The performance contained several strange connections - the unusual choice of Ricky Martin to sing “Oye Como Va;” Celia Cruz entering the stage with blue hair; Gloria Estefan cutting off Cruz’s pregones - it was strange indeed. It once again placed Puente on a world stage though, and brought his music to a new generation.

———-
Click here to have these posts delivered via email. Or, click here to subscribe to the full text RSS feed and never miss another post!

Stumble it!