At the age of 91, Pete Rodriguez, an American pianist and bandleader, passed away on March 7, 2024, in The Bronx, New York, following his birth to Puerto Rican parents.
Latin boogaloo was the specialty of Rodriguez’s band, Pete Rodríguez y Su Conjunto. They reached the national Billboard charts with their most popular song, “I Like It Like That” (1967), and it has been covered numerous times since.
The Blackout All-Stars did a cover of the song for the 1994 film I Like It Like That. From 1998 until 2003, it gained fresh recognition as the music for Odeon Cinemas’ primary ident. It was played on the imaginary Latin music radio station “Radio Espantoso” in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories video game’s soundtrack.
The song “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin from 2018 also included samples of it and “Oh, That’s Nice!” (1967).
Rodriquez maintained his family’s identity a secret. He never gives up any information about his wife, kids, or parents. Despite the fact that Rodriquez departed dead on March 11, 2024, his music endures as a constant tribute to his extraordinary brilliance and inventiveness.
