[Pre-show post]
Episode 41 will be a tribute to the prolific songwriter Catalino 'Tite' Curet Alonso of Puerto Rico. He composed more than 2000 songs. A list of nearly 600 notable compositions is here.
I spotlight two dozen of his salsa compositions with some context and translation. This includes a few 'cover versions', or interpretations by artists other than those who made original recordings, and also two songs sung by himself.
This is another episode where simple but rewarding research is part of my preparation. As a basic introduction to this important composer, listeners can discover the nature and genius of Tite Curet Alonso from a selection of songs played by a range of singers/musicians, such as Cheo Feliciano, Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, Willie Colon, and the Lebron Brothers --among others.
The song selection aims to deliver a balance between certain salsa 'anthems' and lesser-known material.
Background
I first thought about doing a show on Tite Curet Alonso while reading the book Salsa Consciente, where his significance as an influential songwriter in the world of salsa was poignantly explained. A related podcast featuring an interview with the book's author, Andrés Espinoza Agurto, highlighted this point while stressing the humanitarian or socially-aware nature of his song compositions.
From the start of my budding interest in salsa music as a collector, I regularly spotted the name "Tite Curet Alonso" in the credits on CDs or records. (Some examples of songs that I like are 'Primoroso Cantar', 'Sali Porque Sali', 'El Solitario', and 'Con los Pobres Estoy'). However, I was not aware of his truly prolific nature nor of his contribution to a Latino identity until I read Salsa Consciente. Also inspiring was watching a video in which Ruben Blades talks about Tite Curet Alonso (see below).
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Further INFORMATION
ONLINE
MSU Press Podcast:
New York Latin Culture Magazine:
PR Sun Communications:
JazzDeLaPlena:
Wikipedia:
BOOKS
Andrés Espinoza Agurto (Michigan State University Press, 2021):
