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Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and boogaloo dance crazes of the 1960s.
Listen to Black Orchid on Spotify. Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader · Song · 2020.
- 3 min
- July 03, 2020
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (April 7, 1922 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others.
Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría – “Mongo” is Cuban slang for Ramón – was born in Jesús Maria, a black barrio of Havana, in 1922. Frank “Machito” Grillo had grown up in the same neighborhood, Santamaría says, but he’d already left for fame and fortune in New York by the time Mongo came of age.
Feb 4, 2003 · Mongo Santamaria, the pioneering Cuban percussionist who was among the most acclaimed exponents of Latin jazz and whose 1963 Top 10 hit “Watermelon Man” stands as a precursor of pop crossover in...
Apr 7, 2017 · "Mongo" Santamaria was born into a deeply African-influenced Cuban life. He was just two generations removed from Cuba's involvement in the scourge of the New World — slavery. The consequent...
Apr 12, 2024 · Mongo Santamaria is celebrated for blending traditional Cuban rhythms with R&B and Jazz, crafting a unique sound that established him as a prominent Afro-Cuban artist in America. Our list of the top 10 Mongo Santamaria songs celebrates the best releases from this legendary musician whose early life on the streets of Havana shaped his ...
