Mongo Santamaria - "Afro Blue"

gd73 | January 26, 2009
Mongo Santamaria - Afro Blue
[Latin Jazz]
originally released on the album Mongo (Fantasy Records - 1959)
reissued on the album Afro-Roots (Prestige Records - 1972)

If you like the music, support the artists by buying it!

**

Here's some information about Mongo Santamaria from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongo_Santamar%C3%ADa

"Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (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 Santamaria 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 Modetso Duran."