WKCR announces a 100th birthday celebration for Tito Puente, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online on Thursday, April 20th, 2023. The special broadcast will preempt all regularly-scheduled Jazz and Latin shows, including Daybreak Express, Birdflight, Out To Lunch, and Jazz Alternatives.

Tune in to 89.9 FM to listen to WKCR's Tito Puente Birthday Broadcast in celebration of his 100th Anniversary. Born in New York City’s Spanish Harlem neighborhood to Puerto Rican parents, Puente fused the influences from his own culture with those around him and became a pioneer for Latin Jazz. After studying music on the G.I. Bill at the Juilliard School of Music, he went on to heighten popularity in mambo, cha-cha-chá, and boogaloo.

Tito Puente is most famous for his song Oye Cómo Va on the album El Rey Bravo released in 1962 to Fania Records. Through collaborations with other reputable Latin musicians such as Celia Cruz, Santos Colon, Willie Colón, and La Lupe, Puente made a name for himself across various genres and crowds. In 1948, Tito Puentes's performance with Tito Rodríguez and Machito put the Palladium on the map, and he helped establish it as a Latin music venue and dance space. Tune in for a day of dedication to the King of Latin Music”

The broadcast will be produced and hosted by WKCR's Latin and Jazz Departments. A programming schedule for the special broadcast is forthcoming. Follow WKCR on Instagram (@wkcr) and Twitter (@WKCRFM) for further updates. Online listening is available 24/7 at wkcr.org via our web stream!