Tito Puente was a renowned musician, composer, and bandleader from New York City. He was known as the 'King of Latin Music' and was a major influence in the development of Latin jazz. He was a master of percussion instruments, playing the timbales, congas, bongos, and vibraphone. He also wrote over 100 compositions and recorded over 100 albums. Puente was a five-time Grammy Award winner and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000.