Puente: Oye como va

In the 1940's, jazz arrangers started to give jazz a new sound with rhythmic figures and instruments taken from Afro-Cuban and Latin American music. "Latin Jazz", as this style came to be known, is popular for its use of rhythms from various Latin dances, such as the mambo, cha-cha and salsa. Tito Puente was an influential arranger and performer of the Latin Jazz idiom. Puente was also very well-known for his skills as a percussionist, often being credited as "El Rey" of the timbales and "The King of Latin Music." A prolific arranger and recording artist throughout his life, "Oye como va" is considered to be his signature selection. The song has been arranged numerous times over the years by many great performers, including the famous 1970 version recorded by the rock guitarist Carlos Santana.