74 °f
Detroit
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
  • Home
  • About
    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
  • Español
    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Artificial Intelligence And The Modern World

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    What’s in Store for Metro Detroit Homebuyers in 2023

    What’s in Store for Metro Detroit Homebuyers in 2023

    Southwest Detroiters want a truck route ordinance now

    Southwest Detroiters want a truck route ordinance now

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

  • Community
    We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

    We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

    New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

    New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

    Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

    Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    Pet Vaccination Clinic in Southwest Detroit

    Pet Vaccination Clinic in Southwest Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    WSU Alumna and Employee Vanessa Reynolds Inspires Other Latinas to Academic Achievement

    WSU Alumna and Employee Vanessa Reynolds Inspires Other Latinas to Academic Achievement

    LA SED: Celebrating 58 Years of Community Service

    LA SED: Celebrating 58 Years of Community Service

    CHASS Expands Mammography Screening Services

    CHASS Expands Mammography Screening Services

  • Featured
    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Artificial Intelligence And The Modern World

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    An Interview with ABC’s John Quiñones

    An Interview with ABC’s John Quiñones

    Alianza FC Kicks Off Its Second Season Highlighting Local Talent

    Alianza FC Kicks Off Its Second Season Highlighting Local Talent

  • Culture & Arts
    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    “Follow the Scent” to Roberto Patiño’s First Artist Exhibit at Mexicantown Bakery

    “Follow the Scent” to Roberto Patiño’s First Artist Exhibit at Mexicantown Bakery

    Fiesta Detroit: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Style

    Fiesta Detroit: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Style

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Detroit in the National Music Spotlight

    Mexican American Artist Sally Spinale Arredondo’s Collection on Display at CCS Student Exhibition

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    Dalia Reyes: On Her New Role at The Scarab Club and Latinos Taking Up Space in the Art World

    Dalia Reyes: On Her New Role at The Scarab Club and Latinos Taking Up Space in the Art World

  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
    • Throwbacks
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • en English
    • en English
    • es Spanish
No Result
View All Result
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
  • Home
  • About
    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
  • Español
    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Artificial Intelligence And The Modern World

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    What’s in Store for Metro Detroit Homebuyers in 2023

    What’s in Store for Metro Detroit Homebuyers in 2023

    Southwest Detroiters want a truck route ordinance now

    Southwest Detroiters want a truck route ordinance now

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

  • Community
    We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

    We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

    New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

    New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

    Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

    Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    Pet Vaccination Clinic in Southwest Detroit

    Pet Vaccination Clinic in Southwest Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    WSU Alumna and Employee Vanessa Reynolds Inspires Other Latinas to Academic Achievement

    WSU Alumna and Employee Vanessa Reynolds Inspires Other Latinas to Academic Achievement

    LA SED: Celebrating 58 Years of Community Service

    LA SED: Celebrating 58 Years of Community Service

    CHASS Expands Mammography Screening Services

    CHASS Expands Mammography Screening Services

  • Featured
    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    A Call for More Latino Carpenters and Millwrights at Hiring Combine

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Your Guide to a Career in Green Building in Detroit

    Artificial Intelligence And The Modern World

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    An Interview with ABC’s John Quiñones

    An Interview with ABC’s John Quiñones

    Alianza FC Kicks Off Its Second Season Highlighting Local Talent

    Alianza FC Kicks Off Its Second Season Highlighting Local Talent

  • Culture & Arts
    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    DSO Returns to Southwest Detroit for Musical Experience at St. Hedwig Catholic Church, May 24

    “Follow the Scent” to Roberto Patiño’s First Artist Exhibit at Mexicantown Bakery

    “Follow the Scent” to Roberto Patiño’s First Artist Exhibit at Mexicantown Bakery

    Fiesta Detroit: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Style

    Fiesta Detroit: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Style

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

    Southwest Detroit in the National Music Spotlight

    Mexican American Artist Sally Spinale Arredondo’s Collection on Display at CCS Student Exhibition

    Home – El Central Hispanic News

    Cinco de Mayo Parade and Fiesta: Music of our Heritage

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    Rising Delray Film Star Daron Colbert Featured at Freep Film Festival

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    ‘Leguizamo Does America’ takes viewers on a road trip, Latino style

    Dalia Reyes: On Her New Role at The Scarab Club and Latinos Taking Up Space in the Art World

    Dalia Reyes: On Her New Role at The Scarab Club and Latinos Taking Up Space in the Art World

  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
    • Throwbacks
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • en English
    • en English
    • es Spanish
No Result
View All Result
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
No Result
View All Result

The Day Tito Puente Hung Out in Detroit’s barrio

Ozzie Rivera by Ozzie Rivera
January 25, 2023
in throwbacks
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Home throwbacks
ShareShareTweetEmail to a friend

It was a summer afternoon in the mid 80’s (sorry I forget the exact year) and a little over 100 salsa & Latin jazz aficionados, grassroots cultural arts and community organizers were excitedly milling around in the “Hispanics Unidos” building. It was Casa de Unidad’s home base for its cultural programming of Latino arts. The great mambo(salsa) band leader Tito Puente was coming to visit! He was going to come through the doors any minute now to participate in a community appreciation dinner they had organized for him. The food cooked by area residents was piping hot and the smell was definitely getting everyone hungry! The Latin jazz band Amigo led by Francisco Mora was playing and they were “smoking”. The air was electrified. Anticipation was high! Here one of our own, renowned on the international stage and a cultural icon since the 50’s, was coming to El Barrio and hanging out with us!

During the late 70s through the 80s and into the early 90s Tito Puente was a regular fixture in the Detroit jazz scene. Besides playing regularly at the Montreaux-Detroit International Jazz Festival, Tito Puente was a regular fixture in the Pontchartrain Hotel jazz series held in downtown for over a decade. With fond memories I remember dancing to his salsa/jazz ensemble on the upper floor “open air” terrace from which you could see and in fact were immersed in the Detroit skyline. It was during this same period, the 80s, that Casa de Unidad was acknowledged as a major player within the Detroit art and cultural scene. Their influence ranged well beyond southwest Detroit as they were a major cultural force in the Detroit area and highly revered by a number of state level cultural institutions like Michigan State University and the Michigan Council of the Arts. Well known for its programming it also was recognized as a top rated advocate for the promotion of Latin music and arts. This influence assured that a request to Tito Puente to come visit our organization during one of his frequent visits to the Pontchartrain jazz series was taken to heart. He wanted to know who these Detroit neighborhood activists were. He was honored by the request of a group so firmly rooted within a Latino community he had yet to become acquainted with.

Puente’s career dated back to the late 40s when as a young man he started his ascendancy. At the young age of 15 he already was performing with the famed Machito orchestra, the founders of the mambo and Latin jazz movement in the U.S. By the 50’s he was known for his frenetic style and musical genius as both a mambo and jazz musician. For decades he along with Machito and sus AfroCubanos and the Tito Rodriguez big band were considered the “Big Three” of the Mambo scene in New York. Their playground was the famed dancehall, the Palladium.

Our community was elated that such a major icon would come visit Casa de Unidad. In walks Tito Puente and the crowd broke into loud applause! You could see he was deeply moved. He worked the crowd, introducing himself to a great many within the hall. He stopped in front of the food, eyed the arroz con glándules (rice with pigeon peas), chicken fricase, lechón asado (roasted pork), numerous sweets and pastries and much more. He hugged a number of the community women/activists who had cooked up this fantastic feast and almost immediately got up on the small stage, approached Francisco Mora and started playing some of his classic tunes, “Cuban Fantasy”, “Oye Como Va”, “Ran Kan Kan” that Amigo had been prepared to do just in case the great one wanted to jam with them! As he approached the timbale drums, they broke out in huge smiles, “high fiving” each other. You know the crowd got up right away and put on their dancing shoes.

In no time it became a truly historic moment. After folks danced a few tunes Tito Puente stated that he was so moved he wanted to do a fundraising dance for Casa. The crowd broke into thunderous applause. Alas, due to a number of unavoidable situations that scholarship fundraiser never came pass but Tito Puente on a few occasions personally told me he was looking forward to keeping his promise.

Recently I was scouring through a pile of old photos, found some from that dinner and I was immediately flooded by these memories… Wow! Tito Puente hung out with us and life was never the same………

Previous Post

Three Who Dreamed

Next Post

Los Boricudas- More Than a Baseball Team

Ozzie Rivera

Ozzie Rivera

Ozzie Rivera, a retired social worker, is a cultural activist and musician who currently teaches on Afro Latino History and Culture at Wayne State University and social work at the University of Michigan.

Related Posts

throwbacks

Liberating Men

by EL CENTRAL
January 25, 2023
0

Men are living in wonderful times today. The Liberation of Women has liberated the male half of the species too. Women...

Read more
throwbacks

Los Boricudas- More Than a Baseball Team

by Ozzie Rivera
January 25, 2023
0

In the mid 80’s I was the Youth Center Director for LaCasa (Latin Americans Against Substance Abuse) in southwest Detroit....

Read more
Three Who Dreamed
Music

Three Who Dreamed

by Ozzie Rivera
January 28, 2023
0

Originally published in EL CENTRAL in two parts, December 9 & 16, 2019 Angelo Figueroa, Irma “LaLila” Rivera and Humberto...

Read more
throwbacks

The First Puerto Rican Community in Detroit (1918)

by EL CENTRAL
September 8, 2022
0

EL CENTRAL Hispanic News is launching "Throwback Tuesdays" when from time to time we will feature past articles from our...

Read more
Next Post

Los Boricudas- More Than a Baseball Team

Leave Comment
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Cinco de Mayo 2023: 10 Parade & Fiesta Questions in 10 Minutes

March 23, 2023
Donut Villa in detroit

A hole in one: Donut Villa is getting a drive-thru

August 25, 2022

Cafecito Alvarez Brings Traditional Mexican Coffee Flavors to Southwest Detroit

August 18, 2022
Mexican Patriotic Committee Announces 58th Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

Mexican Patriotic Committee Announces 58th Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

April 20, 2023

Detroit Tigers Visit Western International High School

0
Community and RuboFest 2022 

Community and RuboFest 2022 

0
“Vemos a México como un socio igualitario”

“Vemos a México como un socio igualitario”

0
Ford Hispanic and Latino Network Beautifies Clark Park

Ford Hispanic and Latino Network Beautifies Clark Park

0
New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

May 25, 2023
All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Reopening Celebration

All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Reopening Celebration

May 25, 2023
Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

May 25, 2023
We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

May 25, 2023

Recent News

New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

May 25, 2023
All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Reopening Celebration

All Saints Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Reopening Celebration

May 25, 2023
Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

May 25, 2023
We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

We Have a Winner for the Hour Detroit Pizza Bracket

May 25, 2023
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News

Michigans #1. Oldest. Largest & Only
Bilingual Hispanic News for 33 Years.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Bakeries
  • Business
  • Classifieds
  • Community
  • Culture & Arts
  • Education
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Español
  • Events
  • Featured
  • Food
  • Latest News
  • Local News
  • Local Small Business
  • Music
  • National News
  • People
  • Politics
  • Restaurants
  • Sports
  • throwbacks
  • Uncategorized
  • World

Recent News

Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

Congress of Communities Welcomes “Youth-Driven Community House” to Southwest Detroit

May 25, 2023
New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

New Resource Helpline Launched to help Detroiters

May 25, 2023
  • Latest Issue
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Menu Item
  • Created with EyeBreatheDesign

© 2022 EL CENTRAL HISPANIC NEWS

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Catagories
    • Featured
    • Local News
    • Community
    • Culture & Arts
    • Español
    • Music
    • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues

© 2022 EL CENTRAL HISPANIC NEWS