Tite Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926-August 5, 2003) born in Guayama, Puerto Rico was a renowned composer of over 2,000 salsa songs. February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Guayama is a municipality of Puerto Rico. ... The music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by African and European (especially Spanish) forms, and has become popular across the Caribbean and in some communities worldwide. ...

Tite Curet Alonso

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Early years

Born Catalino Curet Alonso in the southern town of Guayama, Alonso's mother was a seamtress and his father a Spanish teacher and musician in the band of Simon Madera. He was two years old in 1928 when his parents divorced and he, his mother and sister moved to Barrio Obrero in Santurce with his grandmother. Barrio Obrero is a poor section of Santurce which is part of San Juan. Living in Barrio Obrero and his experiences there greatly influenced his music. He was raised by his grandmother and he received his primary and secondary education. In 1941 when he was 15 years old, he wrote his first song. Among his childhood friends were Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera and Daniel Santos. “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Nickname: Location of San Juan within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: Country United States Territory Puerto Rico Founded 1508/1521 Area  - City 76. ... Nickname: Location of San Juan within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: Country United States Territory Puerto Rico Founded 1508/1521 Area  - City 76. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Rafael Cortijo (January 11, 1928- October 3, 1982), was a Puerto Rican musician, orquestra leader and composer. ... Ismael Rivera a. ... Daniel Santos a. ...

Career as a song composer

After he graduated from high school, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico where he studied journalism and sociology. He worked for the United States Postal Service, a job which he held for more than twenty years. All the while he continued to compose songs. In 1960 he moved to New York City and worked for the newspaper "La Prensa" as a sports journalist. In 1965, Alonso met salsa singer Joe Quijano who recorded Alonso's Efectivamente which became a hit. Alonso developed a unique style of his own which is known as "salsa with a conscience". He wrote songs about social and romantic themes which told about the poor blacks and the hardships that they faced. He also focused many of his songs on what he called the beauty of the black caribbeans. The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ... The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent establishment of the executive branch of the United States government (see 39 U.S.C. Â§ 201) responsible for providing postal service in the U.S. Within the United States, it is colloquially referred to simply as the post office. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... “New York, NY” redirects here. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Black cat, thought by some to cause bad luck (see superstition) Black is the shade of objects that do not reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum. ... “West Indian” redirects here. ...

Throughout his life, Alonso composed over two thousand songs. Some of the people who have intrepeted his songs are: Joe Quijano, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Willie Colon, Tito Rodriguez, Olga Guillot, Hector Lavoe, Ray Barretto, Tony Croatto, Ruben Blades, Tito Puente, Ismael Miranda, Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentin, Marvin Santiago, Willie Rosario, Chucho Avellanet, Andy Montañez, Rafael Cortijo, Tommy Olivencia and Frankie Ruiz. His song Las Caras Linda (De Mi Gente Negra) (The Beautiful Faces (Of My Black People) recorded by Ismael Rivera, is considered by many as a classic. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Celia Cruz (October 21, 1925 – July 16, 2003) was a three-time Grammy Award and four-time Latin Grammy winning Cuban-American salsa singer who spent most of her career living in New Jersey, and working in the United States and several Latin American countries. ... La Lupe, or La Yiyiyi, (born Guadalupe Victoria Yolí Raymond, December 23, 1936 - d. ... Willie Colón (born 28 April 1950) is a Puerto Rican-American salsa musician. ... Tito Rodríguez a. ... Olga Guillot (born c. ... Héctor Lavoe (30 September 1946–29 June 1993) was a well-known salsa singer during the 1970s and 1980s whose name is frequently associated with trombonist Willie Colón. ... Ray Barretto a. ... Tony Croatto (March 2, 1940 - April 3, 2005) was an Croatian/Italian-Puerto Rican singer and composer best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. ... Rubén Blades (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, actor and politician. ... Tito Puente Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. ... Ismael Miranda a. ... Roberto Roena was one the original members of El Gran Combo of Puerto Rico, who derived from the famous Puerto Rican percussionists Rafael Cortijo. ... Bobby Valentin a. ... Marvin Santiago (December 26, 1947 - October 6, 2004) was a Puerto Rican salsa singer who became famous all across Latin America during the 1970s. ... Willie Rosario a. ... Chucho Avellanet (born circa 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer. ... Andrés Montañez (born 1942), better known as Andy Montañez, is a famous Salsa singer from Puerto Rico. ... Rafael Cortijo (January 11, 1928- October 3, 1982), was a Puerto Rican musician, orquestra leader and composer. ... Tommy Olivencia, (May 15, 1938 - September 22, 2006), born in Puerto Rico, was a renowned bandleader of salsa music. ... Frankie Ruiz (March 10, 1958 - August 9, 1998 born in Paterson, New Jersey) was a well known Puerto Rican salsa singer. ...

Later years

Alonso married and had a daughter. The marriage didn't last and he and his wife separated. In 1985, he met Norma Salazar with whom he lived with for the rest of his life. Despite the fact that the songs he wrote sold millions of records, his royalties were minimal. According to his family Alonso was tricked into signing contracts which favored the recording studios and his publishing company, ACEMLA, and not him. 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tributes

Tite Curet Alonso died on August 5, 2003 from a heart attack in Baltimore, Maryland. William Nazaret, a Venezuelan made sure that Alonso's body was transferred to Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico he was given a hero's funeral, first the wake was held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture with an honor guard and then at Puerto Rico's Capitol building in San Juan. Finally he was laid to rest in Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in San Juan. Ruben Blades suspended some dates from his "farewell" tour (before becoming the Minister of Culture for Panama) to attend Alonso's funeral. Cheo Feliciano, his closest friend, was one of many famous pallbearers in attendance. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... Nickname: Motto: The Greatest City in America,[4] Get in on it. ... Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era graveyard the final resting place of many of Puerto Ricos most prominent natives and residents. ... Rubén Blades (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, actor and politician. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

list of famous Puerto Ricans in alphabetical order by last names, where applicable. ...

External links

• "Listing of 600 of Alonso's compositions"
• "Tite Curet Alonso"
• Listen to Alonso's Tiemblas
• Biography, Photos, Lyrics (SalsaClasica.com)