Mongo Santamaría | |
|---|---|
 Santamaría in 1969 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ramón Santamaría Rodríguez (1917-04-07)April 7, 1917 Havana, Cuba |
| Died | February 1, 2003(2003-02-01) (aged 85) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1950–1998 |
| Labels | |
Ramón "Mongo"Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in theUnited States. Primarily aconga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in thepachanga andboogaloodance crazes of the 1960s. His biggest hit was his rendition ofHerbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", which was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame in 1998. From the 1970s, he recorded mainlysalsa andLatin jazz, before retiring in the late 1990s.
Mongo learned to play the congas as an amateurrumba musician in the streets of Havana. He then learned thebongos from Clemente "Chicho" Piquero and toured with various successful bands such as theLecuona Cuban Boys andSonora Matancera.[1] In 1950, he moved to New York City, where he becameTito Puente'sconguero and in 1957 he joinedCal Tjader's band. He then formed his owncharanga, while at the same time recording some of the first rumba and Santería music albums. By the end of the decade, he had his firstpachanga hit, "Para ti". He then became a pioneer of boogaloo with "Watermelon Man" and later signed record deals withColumbia,Atlantic andFania. He collaborated with salsa artists and became a member of theFania All-Stars, often showcasing his conga solos againstRay Barretto. In his later years, Santamaría recorded mostly Latin jazz forConcord Jazz andChesky Records.
Santamaría learnedrumba as a child in the streets of Havana's Jesús María neighborhood. He reminisced: "In the neighborhood where I came from we had all kinds of music, mostly from Africa. We did not leave it alone; we changed it our way. The music we made dealt withreligion and conversation. The drum was our tool and we used it for everything".[2] Gerard points out: "Santamaría, like other drummers of his generation, learned music in the streets by observing different drummers. When he started playing professionally, he learned on the job. His approach was utilitarian, not theoretical".[3] Santamaría was mentored onbongos andcongas by Clemente "Chicho" Piquero, who played inBeny Moré's band. He recalled: "I would go with Chicho and play the tumbadora and also the [quinto]. I would play everything because I learned a lot from Chicho—because he could play everything".[4]
Santamaría played some of the first recorded folkloric rumbas. Because he recorded for mainstream jazz labels, his folkloric records were consistently available to the public. Santamaría's albums tended to list the personnel and their instruments, and record buyers came to know other Cuban rumberos, such asArmando Peraza,Francisco Aguabella,Julito Collazo,Carlos Vidal Bolado, Modesto Duran and Pablo Mozo. The 10 inch 33 1/3 rpm phonorecordAfro-Cuban Drums by Santamaría was recorded in SMC's New York City studios on November 3, 1952. Santamaría's next recordings with folkloric rumba were onChangó (re-issued asDrums and Chants) recorded in New York (1954).Yambú (1958),Mongo (1959), andBembé (1960) followed.
Santamaría did not analyze his personal style: "When I play I don't know how I do it, or what I do ... I just play".[5] The following example is an excerpt from aquinto performance by Santamaría on his composition "Mi guaguancó" (1959).[6] The excerpt shows variations on two main motifs, marked as A and B. Santamaría's use of repetition turns the secondary phrase (B), into the primary motif here.[7]
Santamaría began playing bongos with Septeto Beloña in 1937. In the 1940s he worked in the house band of the prestigious Tropicana nightclub. When Chicho could not go on the tour inMexico in the late 1940s, he recommended Santamaría for the job. Mexico opened Santamaría up to the wider world beyond his island home. After returning from Mexico in 1950, Santamaría moved to New York City, where he becameTito Puente's conga player. In 1957 Mongo Santamaría joinedCal Tjader's Latin jazz combo.
In 1959 Santamaría recorded his composition "Afro Blue," the firstjazz standard built upon a typical African 3:2cross-rhythm, orhemiola.[8][9] The song begins with the bass repeatedly playing 6 cross-beats per each measure of 12/8, or 6 cross-beats per 4 main beats—6:4 (two cells of 3:2). The following example shows the originalostinato "Afro Blue" bass line. The slashed noteheads indicate the mainbeats (not bass notes), where you would normally tap your foot to "keep time."
In 1960 Santamaría went to Havana, Cuba withWillie Bobo to record two albums "Mongo in Havana" and "Bembe y Nuestro Hombre En La Habana". After recording, he returned to New York City to form the charanga orquestra La Sabrosa.[10]
In late 1962Chick Corea had given notice and Santamaría needed a pianist to fill in for the upcoming weekend gigs.Herbie Hancock got the temporary job. Hancock recalls what happened the night that Santamaría discovered "Watermelon Man", the only tune of Santamaría's to reach the top of the pop charts:
[Jazz trumpeterDonald Byrd] came to this supper club to see how I was doing. Anyway, during one of the intermissions, Donald had a conversation with Mongo, something about, "What are the examples of the common thread between Afro-Cuban or Afro-Latin music and African-American jazz?" Mongo said he hadn't really heard a thing that really links it together, he was still searching for it. And I wasn't paying much attention to that conversation, it was a little too heavy for me at the time. But then all of a sudden Donald Byrd says, "Herbie, why don't you play 'Watermelon Man' for Mongo?" And I'm thinking, "What does that have to do with the conversation they're talking about?" I thought it was a little funky jazz tune.So I started playing it, and then Mongo, he got up and he said, "Keep playing it!" He went on the stage, and playing his congas, and it fit like a glove fits on a hand, it just fit perfectly. The bass player looked at my left hand for the bass line, and he learned that. Little by little, the audience was getting up from their tables, and they all got on the dance floor. Pretty soon the dance floor was filled with people, laughing and shrieking, and was having a great time, and they were saying, "This is a hit! This is fantastic!" It was like a movie! So after that, Mongo said "Can I record this?" I said "By all means." And he recorded it, and it became a big hit. That's how it happened.[11]
The sudden success of the song (which Mongo Santamaria recorded on December 17, 1962) propelled Santamaría into his niche of blending Afro-Cuban and African American music. Santamaría went on to record Cuban-flavored versions of popular musicR&B andMotown songs.
On February 1, 2003, Santamaria died in Miami, Florida, after suffering a stroke, at the age of 85.[12] He is buried in Woodlawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum (nowCaballero Rivero Woodlawn Park North Cemetery and Mausoleum) in Miami, Florida.
Santamaria was inducted into theInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and theBillboard Latin Music Hall of Fame the following year.[13][14]
WithFania All-Stars
WithTito Puente
WithCal Tjader
With others
