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Mongo Santamaría

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Ramón Mongo Santamaría was born in Havana in 1917. As a child he learned to play the conga in the streets of the Jesús María neighbourhood, where rumba could be heard. He was coached on bongo and conga by Clemente Chicho Piquero and toured with bands such as the Lecuona Cuban Boys and Sonora Matancera. In 1950 he moved to New York, where he became Tito Puente's conguero and, in 1957, a member of Cal Tjader's band. He then started his own charanga and made one of the first albums of folkloric rumba and Santería music, such as Drums and Chants (1957), Mongo (1959) and Sabroso! (1959).

Music and breakthrough

In the late 1950s he had his first pachanga hit, Para ti. His greatest success was his version of Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man, which entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and made him a pioneer of boogaloo. He signed with Columbia, Atlantic and Fania and played in the Fania All-Stars. From the 1970s he recorded mainly salsa and Latin jazz, later for Concord Jazz and Chesky Records. He died in 2003.

Influence

Santamaría brought Afro-Cuban percussion to jazz and to the dance floor. Because he recorded for major jazz labels, his folkloric music reached many listeners. He himself said that he did not know what he was playing, he just played.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Afro Blue and notice how the congas carry the rhythm while the melody floats above the rolling accompaniment. Can you hear how jazz and Afro-Cuban percussion meet here?

Discography

Studio albums

Other work

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: ArtistsLatin jazzSoul jazz