It has been confirmed that Pete Rodriguez, the pioneering American pianist, Latin musician and bandleader, died on March 11 at the age of 89.
Born in The Bronx, New York, on April 16, 1934 to Puerto Rican parents, Rodriguez grew up steeped in Latin music, and his own work helped bring that music into the mainstream. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1960s, he came home to form Pete Rodriguez y Su Conjunto (Pete Rodriguez and His Band). They played the emerging style of boogaloo, which merged Latin rhythms with American R&B and soul.
Rodriguez and his band turned out one of the best-known and most enduring hits of boogaloo when they recorded 1967’s “I Like It Like That.” Rodriguez’s piano anchors the catchy, infectious tune, sung by trumpeter Tony Pabon. Importantly, it was sung in English, making it both reflective of the melting pot experience of a generation of Nuyoricans born and raised Stateside, and perfect to crossover to non-Spanish speaking listeners.
As a result of this, the song made the national Billboard charts and has since been widely covered and heard in movies, TV shows, and video games, including Chef and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Its success was part of what led to Rodriguez being crowned “The King of Boogaloo.” It also received renewed exposure as the soundtrack to the main ident at Odeon Cinemas from 1998 to 2003.
By the end of the 1960, boogaloo’s mainstream was over – but “I Like It Like That’s” appeal has continued to thrive to thrive in cover versions and remakes through the years. Appropriately enough, in 2018, the Bronx’s Cardi B would revisit the song with Latin music giants Bad Bunny and J Balvin as “I Like It,” introducing it to an entirely new generation. Elsewhere, Rodriguez’s “Oye Mira” was also sampled in the 2021 song “Vielen Dank” recorded by the German hip-hop band 187 Strassenbande. It hit the No. 5 spot on Germany’s Offizielle Deutsche Chart on May 28, 2021.
Pete Rodriguez and his band recorded more than a dozen albums in all, while Rodriguez performed sporadically after the band’s early fame. He has often expressed his appreciation the long-lasting popularity of his biggest hit.
“It was a great time, you know? It was a free dance, a free-for-all dance that anybody can do, and the music was pretty catchy,” he said in a 2017 interview for DNA Info.
Tributes to Pete Rodriguez have poured in since his passing. Fania Records wrote an especially heartfelt testimonial social media, saying “It is with a heavy heart we share the passing of the great pianist and bandleader, Pete Rodriguez. The world has lost an incredible Latin artist whose music will continue to influence for generations to come. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”