Puente's music is best known for its salsa style. He was a Latin jazz and salsa musician, composer, arranger, and bandleader. His music was heavily influenced by Cuban and Puerto Rican rhythms, as well as jazz. He was a Grammy Award-winning artist who released over 100 albums during his career. He was also a pioneer in the development of Latin jazz, which combines elements of jazz and Latin American music. Puente's music has been celebrated around the world and continues to be an influence on modern Latin music.