Tite Curet Alonso
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Tite Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926-August 5, 2003) was a renowned composer of over 2,000 salsa songs.
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[edit] Early years
Born Catalino Curet Alonso in the southern town of Guayama in Puerto Rico. 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.
[edit] Career as a song composer
After he graduated from high school, he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico where he studied journalism and sociology. He worked for the United States Postal Service, a job which he held for more than 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 Alonso'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, Wilkins, 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 Mi Gente Negra) (The Beautiful Faces (Of My Black People) recorded by Ismael Rivera, is considered by many as a classic.
[edit] Later years
Alonso married and had a daughter. The marriage didn't last and he and his wife separated. In 1985, he met Norma Salazar with whom he lived with for the rest of his life. Despite the fact that the songs he wrote sold millions of records, his royalties were minimal. According to his family Alonso was tricked into signing contracts which favored the recording studios and his publishing company, ACEMLA, and not him.
[edit] Tributes
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 hero's funeral, first the wake was held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture with an honor guard and then at Puerto Rico's Capitol building in San Juan. Finally he was interred in Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in San Juan. Ruben Blades suspended some dates from his "farewell" tour (before becoming the Minister of Culture for Panama) to attend Alonso's funeral. Cheo Feliciano, his closest friend, was one of many famous pallbearers in attendance.
