#156: Tito Puente - Dance Mania (1958)

Emily: Even though most people probably have no idea who Tito Puente is, he’s pretty important in the realm of Latin music. Anyone who is dubbed both “El Rey de los Timbales” and “The King of Latin Music” clearly has done something to elevate him to the top of the genre. He was an accomplished band leader and musician who brought dozens of Latin jazz, mambo, and salsa albums to mainstream listeners, and Dance Mania was one of the first of those efforts. Each song combines those genres into high-energy, danceable music that made me wish I had taken more than one salsa lesson from high school Spanish Club. Although the tracks tended to be indistinguishable from each other, each one kept up the same enthusiastic Latin sound. This would work well as background music for a Mexican meal, or, better yet, the backup music for some margarita-fueled impromptu salsa dancing.

Favorite Tracks: Varsity Drag; 3-D Mambo; Mambo Gozon

Zack: You may remember a few weeks ago when I listened to Sinead O’Connor while making a beef stew. I thought that it was good cooking music, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it was really good stew cooking music. Something about cutting potatoes while listening to that fair Irish lass was just so perfect. So, what did I find myself cooking while listening to Tito Puente? Why, chili of course. I swear I didn’t intend that to happen. It was just the next album on the list and I’d been meaning to make a batch of chili for weeks but just got the ingredient I kept forgetting yesterday. Still, it is undeniable that it worked. I was salsa dancing over to cut onions and everything. This album would be a lot of fun regardless of coinciding activity, but cooking chili was just so appropriate. Now I just need to find something to listen to while making stir fry…

Favorite Tracks: Complicación; Cuando Te Vea; Varsity Drag