SALSA UNDER THE STARS

The Tito Puente Jr. Latin Jazz Ensemble, The Latin Jazz Express and the Dojo Dance Co. ”” The King of Latin Music ”” celebrate Hudson Valley Farmers and the 2022 Harvest.

Puente Jr. carries his father with him ”“ imprinted on his physical being and locked in his soul. It”™s in his looks, his joy, his music. No doubt, every time he walks on stage he walks in his father”™s footsteps. Now, on Friday, Oct. 14, he will perform on the deck overlooking the Hudson at the Hudson House Distillery, 1835 Route 9W, West Park, New York.

Proceeds will benefit The Robert Burns Scholarship Fund, established to provide scholarships to students interested in studying the Distillery Sciences in the Hudson Valley. Puente plans to shake up the audience with all the excitement of a night at the New York Palladium. The Puente name is synonymous with Latin music, especially in the dance-oriented sub-genres of mambo, cha-cha and salsa, but also in the jazz world.

“My father”™s big band arrangements from the 1940s and 1950s brought the horn sections and combined them with the Afro-Cuban sounds of the conga, timbale and the bongo. For many listeners, the gateway into the musical world of Puente was through the song “Oye Como Va.” Originally released in 1963, it was picked up and recorded by guitarist Carlos Santana in 1970. The popularity of the song helped boost both his and Santana”™s careers.

Now, the 51-year-old son is on a mission to bring his father”™s music to the world, music that vibrates at the intersection of big-band jazz and Latin rhythms.