Jazz musician, songwriter, and producer Tito Puente created a legacy that echoes beyond its years. Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, he mastered the timbales and vibraphone as he released a string of mambo albums in the ‘50s, bringing a propulsive dance style with rhythmic tempos and ecstatic horn-fueled melodies to the mainstream. His memorable—often humorous—vocal hooks led to jubilant classics like “Oye Como Va,” which was famously covered by Santana. As he journeyed through mambo, Afro-Cuban son, cha-cha-chá, and bossa nova during his life, Puente redefined American pop.