Tito v.s. Tito By Efrain Flores

From the countless numbers of songs I've danced to from Cleveland all the way to Japan, I always run into a song composed, produced, sung, or even influenced by two of my favorite salsa artists....Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez.

Its almost unimaginable how much music was developed between the both of them. When I first started collecting music, I bought a compilation of Tito Puente best stuff. This of course was just the start... When I found out he had more than 104 albums done since 1949, I couldn't even imagine how many songs have been done by him.

Most of the more popular pieces such as Oye Como Va or El Cayuco have become his trademark. But when you get down to some of his other stuff, you better hold on to something because it'll take over you.

Take a listen to Machito Forever. With this piece of course in homage to Machito takes you somewhere else not of this world. I entered a salsa congress and heard this song playing and the place seem like a riot. When I realized this was Tito Puente, I was on a mission to hear more, because the devil himself took over body.

Another piece if you still have courage to do so is Mi Socio (which is sung by La Lupe herself, in which I imagine she was on crack when she was singing this, because it's insane).

Now we come to Tito Rodriguez with who himself compared to the other guy had as much music compiled under his name. A lot of music popular today was probably a redone verion of Tito Rodriguez from Sun Sun Babae, Yambu, Mama Guela and Donde Estabas Tu.

Some of his funkier tracks include Barito, Blen Blen Blen and (my favorite) Descarga Cachao with which seems to come with its own version of funk.

The next time you enter a salsa club, congress or social.... It's almost likely you will catch one of their songs... If you do, honor them by getting on the dancefloor...!