ArtistInfo

Mongo Santamaria

cng, bgo, 1917-2003 CU, Havana
Musician / Composer of Latin and Jazz
A.k.a. Ramón Santamaría Rodríguez

Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a rumba quinto master and 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.

Instruments

• Congas
• Bongos
• Drums
• Percussion

Genres

• Latin
• Jazz
• R&B/Soul

Plays With