Mongo Santamaría

Mongo Santamaría
Santamaria in 1969.
Background information
Birth name	Ramón Santamaría Rodríguez
Also known as	Mongo
Born	April 7, 1917(1917-04-07)
Origin	Havana, Cuba
Died	February 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 85)
Genres	Latin jazz
Instruments	Congas
Associated acts	La Lupe, Tito Puente

Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 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. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, etc. He was an integral figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s. His 1963 hit rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Mongo Santamaría was one of a handful of Cuban congueros ('conga players') who came to the United States in the 1940s and 50s. Other notable congueros who came to the U.S. during that time include Armando Peraza, Chano Pozo, Francisco Aguabella, Julito Collazo, Carlos Vidal Bolado and Modesto Durán.

Santamaría inspired the stage name of Japanese actor Yūsuke Santamaria. Additionally, his name is used as a pun in the film Blazing Saddles. When the character Mongo enters a scene, a Spanish-speaking peasant cries "Mongo! Santa Maria!" before fleeing in terror.

He is buried in Woodlawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum (now Caballero Rivero Woodlawn Park North Cemetery and Mausoleum) in Miami, Florida.

Discography

• Tambores y Cantos (1955)
• Afro-Roots (1960)
• Yambu: Mongo Santamaria y Sus Ritmos Afro Cubano (1958)^[1]
• Mongo (1959) - with the theme "Afro Blue"
• Our Man in Havana (1959)
• Mongo en La Habana (1960) with Carlos Embale and Merceditas Valdés
• Sabroso! (1960) - with tresero and composician Andrés Echeverría
• Go, Mongo! (1962)
• Watermelon man! (1963) (Battle Records)
• Mongo At The Village Gate (1963) (Riverside Records)
• El Bravo! (1964)
• La Bamba (1965)
• Pussy Cat (1965)
• "Hey! Let's Party" (1967)
• Afro-American Latin (1969)
• Stone Soul (1969)
• Mongo´70 (1970)
• Feelin' Alright (1970)
• Mongo's Way (1971)
• Up From the Roots (1972)
• Ubané (1974) with Justo Betancourt on vocals^[2]
• Sofrito (1976)
• Amanecer (1977) - won a Grammy award
• Red Hot (1979)
• Soy Yo (1987)
• You Better Believe It (1979)
• Mambo Mongo (1993)
• Mongo Returns (Milestone Records, 1995)
• Conga Blue (1995)
• Come on Home (1997)
• Mongo Santamaria (1998)

References

1. ^ www.allmusic.com (Macrovision Corporation). Retrieved 2009-06-30
2. ^ Raul A. Fernandez, From Afro-Cuban rhythms to Latin jazz, University of California, 2006.

External links

• Mongo Santamaria Conga Solo Transcription
• Mongo Santamaria Interview

Persondata
Name	Santamaria, Mongo
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 7, 1917
Place of birth	Cuba
Date of death	February 1, 2003
Place of death