IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 435

Recognizing and honoring Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 24, 2000

Mr. ORTIZ (for himself, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ,

Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. BECERRA, Mr.

MENENDEZ, Ms. VELA ́

ZQUEZ, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́

, Mr. UNDERWOOD,

Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, and

Mr. BACA) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing and honoring Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente

Jr.

Whereas Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr. was a distinguished artist, entertainer, and world-renowned leader of

the Latin jazz movement;

Whereas Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, to Ernesto

and Ercilla Puente in New York City and raised in the

neighborhood known as Spanish Harlem;

Whereas Tito Puente was recognized early in his life as a

musical prodigy;
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Whereas Tito Puente went on to learn to play piano and

drums and in 1936, began his musical career at the age

of 16 as a drummer with the Noro Morales Orchestra;

Whereas Tito Puente briefly interrupted his musical career to

serve in the Navy during World War II at the age of 19;

Whereas upon his discharge in 1945, Tito Puente used his

GI benefits to attend the prestigious Juilliard School,

where he studied conducting, orchestration, and theory;

Whereas Tito Puente resumed his career in 1947 and performed at a number of night clubs and ballrooms in the

United States over the years, in particular, the Palladium

Ballroom in the 1940’s and 1950’s, Madison Square Garden in New York City, and sold-out performances at

Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Theater in New

York City;

Whereas Tito Puente was devoted to helping others pursue

their dreams of careers in music;

Whereas Tito Puente founded the Tito Puente Scholarship

Foundation in 1980 to benefit musically talented Hispanic children, which was later expanded to provide

scholarships to all music students nationwide;

Whereas Tito Puente recorded over 100 albums, won 5

Grammy awards, crafted over 400 musical compositions,

and performed for 4 United States Presidents (Carter,

Reagan, Bush, and Clinton);

Whereas Tito Puente’s film credits include ‘‘From Son to

Salsa’’ (1998), ‘‘The Mambo Kings’’ (1992), ‘‘Salsa’’

(1988), and Woody Allen’s ‘‘Radio Days’’ (1987);

Whereas Tito Puente was awarded honorary degrees from the

State University of New York at Old Westbury in 1987,

from Long Island University and Hunter College of the
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City University of New York in New York City in 1994,

and from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1995;

Whereas Tito Puente received a star on the Hollywood Walk

of Fame in 1990;

Whereas Tito Puente received the Smithsonian Institution

Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996;

Whereas Tito Puente performed around the world at renowned musical jazz festivals, including the Montreaux,

Monterey, Munich, and North Sea festivals;

Whereas Tito Puente’s passion for Latin music was evident

to the numerous American and international audiences he

performed for throughout his career;

Whereas Tito Puente was inducted into the International

Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997;

Whereas Tito Puente was awarded the National Medal of the

Arts by President Clinton in 1997 and Living Legends

Award by the Library of Congress in 2000;

Whereas Tito Puente died on June 1, 2000; and

Whereas Hispanic Heritage Month annually celebrates and

honors the social, cultural, and political contributions of

Hispanic Americans: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) recognizes and honors Ernesto Antonio

4 ‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr.—

5 (A) as one of the greatest American musi6 cians of all time; and
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1 (B) for his contributions to music, culture,

2 community, and the Nation; and

3 (2) extends its deepest gratitude to Tito Puente

4 and his family for sharing his musical gifts with the

5 world.

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