René Touzet

Although not as well-known to music audiences as Xavier Cugat or Pérez Prado, pianist and composer René Touzet was easily as influential in popularizing Latin rhythms in the U.S. In fact, his best-known cha cha, "El Loco," provided the inspiration for "Louie Louie," one of rock's most notorious songs. "Let Me Love You Tonight," the torch song made famous by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, and many others, was also a Touzet composition originally recorded as "No Te Importa Sabre." Even without these subtle crossover hits, Touzet ranks as a top Latin composer of bolero...