Artist Thumbnail
Mongo Santamaría
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and boogaloo dance crazes of the 1960s. His biggest hit was his rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. From the 1970s, he recorded mainly salsa and Latin jazz, before retiring in the late 1990s. Mongo learned to play the congas as an amateur rumba musician in the streets of Havana. He then learned the bongos from Clemente "Chicho" Piquero and toured with various successful bands such as the Lecuona Cuban Boys and Sonora Matancera. In 1950, he moved to New York City, where he became Tito Puente's conguero and in 1957 he joined Cal Tjader's band. He then formed his own charanga, while at the same time recording some of the first rumba and Santería music albums. By the end of the decade, he had his first pachanga hit, "Para ti". He then became a pioneer of boogaloo with "Watermelon Man" and later signed record deals with Columbia, Atlantic and Fania. From Wikipedia (

Songs

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1
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Sofrito
Mongo Santamaria
2
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Chuqui Bambo (Afro-Congo)
Francisco Aguabella
3
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Mayeya
Mongo Santamaría
4
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Afro Blue
Mongo Santamaría
5
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Mambomongo
Mongo Santamaría

Albums

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Mambo Mongo

2025
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Mas Sabroso

2021
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Live Treasures

2020
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Mango Mambo - Mongo Santamaria Mambo Summer Jam

2024
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The Mambo Terrifico

2021
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Chango + Mongo Santamaria and His Afro-Cuban Drum Beaters

2020
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Recordando a Mongo Santamaria

2023
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Afro Blue

2021
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Este Mambo! La Lupe y Mongo: La Esencia de la Salsa

2023
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Sabroso!

2020

Singles & EPs

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Chano Pozo

EP • 2023
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Meta Rumba

EP • 2023
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Entre Orichas

EP • 2015
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Afro-Blue

EP • 2023
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Guajira at the Blackhawk

EP • 2023
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Live At Yankee Stadium

EP • 1974
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All the Things You Are

EP • 2023
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Ayenye

EP • 2023
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Los Conguitos

EP • 2023
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Slap It

Single • 2020

Videos

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Sofrito Mongo Santamaria, conducted by Michael Mossman

Mambísimo Big Band • 1M views
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SOFRITO (MONGO SANTAMARÍA, 1973)

Rolly Urbina • 542K views
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Mongo Santamaria mama papa Tu

DFF DFF • 709 views
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Mongo Santamaria "Sofrito" from Sofrito (Official Visualizer)

Fania Records • 25K views
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montuneando- exito sonidero

luis s • 58K views
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Mongo Santamaria - Me and You Baby (Picao y Tostao)

deecharming • 271K views
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MAYEYA MONGO SANTAMARIA

Roberth Guaguanco • 650 views
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fania latin jazz-mongo santamaria

javier farkas • 8.3K views
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Mongo Santamaria - Diago Rivera

ORHAN KELLECİ • 615 views
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La Lupe - Canta bajo (Mongo Santamaria introduces La Lupe)

LA LUPE • 367K views

Featured on

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'60s Salsa

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