Tribute to the Masters: Tite Curet Alonso

Any discussion about popular Puerto Rican music is remiss without the name Tite Curet Alonso. In a career that spanned roughly 30 years, he was one of the most prolific and vital composers in Puerto Rico’s history.

Catalino Curet Alonso was born in the municipality of Guaynabo in 1926. His mother was a seamstress. His father was a Spanish language teacher, trumpeter, trombonist, a member of Simón (“Pin”) Madera’s band and Guayama’s municipal band.

In 1928, at two, his parents divorced, and Tite Curet, his mother, and sister moved to the Barrio Obrero in the municipality of Santurce (San Juan). There, he grew up immersed in music. “I used to drop in on (the guitarist) Tito Enriquez. I learned a lot from him. Also, I learned a lot from (the composer) Pedro Flores and (musician, composer) Rafael Hernández.” Among his childhood friends were Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, and Daniel Santos.

Tite Curet received his primary and secondary education in the municipality of Guayamo. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), where he studied journalism and sociology.

In 1960, he moved to New York and worked as a journalist for the newspaper El Diario La Prensa. Tite Curet credits his elegant, metered, literate lyrics with journalism. When he composes a tune for a singer, he takes into account his, or her style and how they sing, if they are good with their vowels, consonants, and pronunciation and whether, or not they interpret the lyrics credibly.

Tite Curet drew inspiration from Brazilian composers. “They have been my best teachers because they are the sorcerers of the half-tone and the effective use of words.” He also studied music theory and solfège (a music education method used to teach aural skills, pitch, and sight-reading).

When he was fifteen (1965) he composed his first tune and had his first big hit titled “Efectivamente” with Joe Quijano. Initially, Fania Records hired Tite Curet as a promoter, but they quickly realized he was a gifted composer. His first worldwide hit was “La Gran Tirana”, interpreted by La Lupe.

Throughout his career, he composed roughly 2000 songs. Of those, about 200 were hits, and 50 are widely considered salsa classics. A short list of the artists who interpreted Tite Curet’s compositions include Joe Quijano, Airto Moreira, Iris Chacón, Willie Colón, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Tito Rodríguez, Olga Guillot, Mon Rivera, Héctor Lavoe, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades, Tito Puente, Ismael Miranda, Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentín, Marvin Santiago, Willie Rosario, Andy Montañez, Ismael Rivera, Rafael Cortijo, Tommy Olivencia, and Frankie Ruiz.

His most famous compositions include “La Gran Tirana”, “Periodico de Ayer”, “Las Caras Lindas”, “Anacaona”, “Isadora Duncan”, “El Hijo de Obatalá”, “La Esencia del Guagancó”, “La Abolición”, “Puro Teatro”, “Piraña”, “Brujería”, “Carcajada Final”, “Los Entierros Pobres”, “Mi Triste Problema”, “Pena de Amor”, “Papel de Payaso”, “Pueblo Latino”, “Tu Loco y Yo Tranquilo” and “Franqueza Cruel” among others.

Tite Curet’s versatility as a composer transcended genres. In the 70s, he penned the hit ballad “Tema de Nilsa” for Johnny Olivo. Also, “Mi Movimiento” for Iris Chacón, “Yo me Dominicanizo” for Los Hijos del Rey, “Pico de Pala” for Tony Croatto, and the title track for the Brazilian percussionist, Airto’s 1984 album, “Aquí Se Puede” (Sacoboco Records). Similarly, his Christmas compositions are interpreted by countless singers and groups.

Shockingly, despite his prowess as a songwriter, from 1949 to 1985, Tite Curet supported his family as a postal worker and writer for the magazine VEA. The reason? Tite Curet’s music was banned from Puerto Rico’s airwaves by the publishing company ACEMALA (Asociacion de Compositores y Editores de Musica Latinoamericana) for fourteen years. ACEMALA sued every venue (radio, T.V., CATV, municipalities, hotels, restaurants, and the Catholic Church) for copyright infringement of every song composed by Curet. As a result, an entire generation was deprived of his genius. In 2009, the U.S. Federal Court in San Juan released 695 songs originally licensed to Fania Records. The remainder of Curet’s compositions is still in the hands of ACEMLA.

Tite Curet suffered a heart attack on August 5, 2003, in Baltimore, Maryland. Shortly after that, his body was transported to Puerto Rico, where he was given a state funeral with an honor guard, and wakes were held at three prestigious locations. He is buried in Santa Maria Magdelena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan.

Journalist Aurora Flores sums up Tite Curet’s career. “Tite Curet helped father the nascent salsa movement that was marking time in clave through the streets of Puerto Rico and Latin New York. Through news events, music, and lyrics, his words inspired hope, faith, solace, and joy during a time of social upheaval. In more than 2,000 tunes, Curet was the musical narrator of current events and national pride, romance, and religion. He wrote when the social reality of the poor was in direct opposition to the political power line, leaving music as the life-support of optimism. Tite Curet reflected the face of a community in need of answers.”

Tite Curet received approximately 44 honors, prizes, and recognition ceremonies in and outside Puerto Rico for his meritorious contributions to Puerto Rican music and culture. In 1996, the University of Turabo awarded Curet an honorary doctorate in letters. In the words of Dr. Dennos Alicea Rodríguez, “Tite Curet Alonso continues the commitment of our university to the preservation of our most fundamental cultural values.”

He is survived by his wife, Hilda, daughter, Hilda de Los Angeles, and two grandchildren and a son, Eduardo, and three half-sisters.

In 2011 Banco Popular’s yearly holiday television special titled Sono, Sono … Tite Curet! Paid tribute to the iconic songwriter. Also, a life-size statue of Curet sits on his favorite bench in San Juan’s Plaza de Armas. Despite the trials and tribulations, Tite Curet’s spirit can take solace in the fact that not a day goes by in Puerto Rico, Latin America, or elsewhere, where his music is not played.

SOURCES

• Flores, Aurora – Tite Curet Alonso: A Man and His Music Liner Notes (E Music)
• Kent, Mary – Salsa Talks! A Musical Heritage Uncovered (Digital Domain, 2005)
• Vargas, Toro Cirilo – Tite Curet Alonso biography (Güiro y Maraca, Spring 2004)
• Wikipedia – Tite Curet Alonso biography

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