 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| read articles |
|
| jazz quotes |
|
| jazzbrat shop |
|
| contact us |
|
| links |
|
| home | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mongo Santamaria Dies
|
|
|
Conga rhythm master Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria died in Miami from the effects of a stroke on February 1, 2003. He was 85 years old. Born in Havana, Cuba, on April 7, 1922, Santamaria first learned the violin, then took up the drums and left school to become a professional musician. He performed at Havana's famous Tropicana Club for several years, and in 1950 moved to New York. He toured with top Latin acts Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, and Perez Prado. Santamaria won a Best Latin Recording Grammy in 1977 for the album "Amancer". However, his most famous recording is a 1963 version of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", which reached the Top 10 on the pop charts. The version came about when Hancock filled in on the piano for a 1962 gig, and on a whim started into his song. Santamaria's band picked it up and added a Latin beat. The song went over so well that the band made it part of their regular repertoire, and later recorded it. He also wrote "Afro Blue", which became a popular jazz standard recorded by the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, and Count Basie. Back to: In the News Posted on 2003-02-10 by Melanie Maddix © jazzbrat.com |
|