Tite Curet Alonso

Tite Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926-August 5, 2003) born in Guayama, Puerto Rico was a renowned composer of over 2,000 salsa songs.

Tite Curet Alonso

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.

After he graduated from high school, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico where he studied journalism and socialogy. He worked for the United States Postal Service, a job which he held for more then 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 Alonoso'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.

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 Me Gente Negra) (The Beautifel Faces (Of My Black People) recorded by Ismael Rivera, is considered by many as a classic.

Alonso married and had a daughter. The marriage didn't last and they were seperated. In 1985, he met Norma Salazar with whom he lived with for the rest of his life. Dispite the fact that the songs he wrote sold milliones of records, his royalties were minimal. According to his family Alonso was tricked into signing contracts which favored the recording studios and not him.

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 heros funeral, first the wake was held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture with an honor guard and then at the Capital Building of Puerto Rico in San Juan. Finally he was laid to rest in the Cementery of Santa Maria de Passi in San Juan.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

You may listen to Alonso's "Tiemblas" here

External link

• Listing of 600 of Alonso's compositions
• Tite Curet Alonso