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Tati Gonzalez Rodriguez with the musician she
loved the most, Tito Puente. The photo was taken at Audrey Puente's
30th birthday party. Tati said that when Tito passed it would be
an end to an era of music. Her son, Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez
said when his mother passed it was an end of great dancers.
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Tati Dancing in the dance contest with Marty Arrett at the Corso.
She had her gall bladder removed 2 weeks prior
and still won the contest.
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Tati Rodriguez: May 5, 1927 - April 4, 2006
I first met Tati Rodriguez in 1962 when I
was trying to get close to the Afro-Cuban scene
in New York. I met her through her husband
at the time, Johnny Rodriguez, Sr., for whom
I had made a pair of bongo shells.
Tati lived
on Melrose Avenue and I vividly remember the
fabulous cooking she turned out in the apartment.
It was always amazing to watch this woman dance. She
was one of the best mambo dancers around and
a regular contest winner, even winning at the
Club Corso only two weeks after gall bladder
surgery.
Tati introduced me to "everyone
who was anyone" on the NY Latin scene. She
gave me a foot in the door with the "in" crowd
which gave me respect, enabled me to approach
musicians with my newly created products, and
to be taken seriously.
One evening, we went
to Count Basie's in Harlem where she convinced
Willie Bobo, who was performing, to lend his
name in support of my product. This was the
start of the LP endorsement program that is
the prototype for similar programs throughout
the musical instrument business.
Tati even
worked for LP in the early days of the company
when we were located in Palisades Park, NJ.
She
was also quick to laugh at my stupid jokes,
and we used to have so much fun hanging out
in dance clubs, after-hours clubs, and even
the cuchifrito restaurants on Willis
Avenue in the Bronx at 4 A.M. where she took
delight in telling the store owners that I
was retarded and she had to cut up my pigs'
ears for me.
When Tito died, Tati felt like
a piece of her was gone and proclaimed that
an era had ended. She will be missed. With
the passing of Tati, we mourn the passing of
one of the greatest dancers that ever lived.
She is survived by her son, Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez and Jeanette Araujo,
by three grandchildren David, Adrian, and Erik, and
great grandchild Mia.
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