Mongo Santamaria

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Biography

La Habana, Cuba (1922 – 2003)

Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría (April 7, 1922 in Havana, Cuba – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard “Afro Blue”, as performed by John Coltrane among others. His 1963 hit rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. 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.

Top Tracks

1	Watermelon Man	147
2	Get The Money	38
2	Mama Papa Tu	38
4	Afro Blue	37
5	We Got Latin Soul	33
6	Me And You Baby (Picao Y Tostao)	23
7	Sofrito	21
8	I Can't Get Next To You	20
9	Cloud Nine	16
10	Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay	13
11	Para Ti	10
12	En La Felicidad	9
12	Que Maravilloso	9
12	Yeh-Yeh	9
15	Pachanga Pa Ti	8