Ramon Santamaría

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Lore & Background

Mongo learned to play the congas as an amateur rumba musician in the streets of Havana's Jesús María neighborhood. He recalled: "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 with religion and conversation. The drum was our tool and we used it for everything." He was mentored on bongos and congas by Clemente "Chicho" Piquero, who played in Beny Moré's band. Santamaría played some of the first recorded folkloric rumbas, including on the 10-inch 33 1/3 rpm phonorecord *Afro-Cuban Drums* recorded in SMC's New York City studios on November 3, 1952. His next folkloric rumba recordings were on *Changó* (re-issued as *Drums and Chants*) recorded in New York in 1954, followed by *Yambú* (1958), *Mongo* (1959), and *Bembé* (1960).

In Their Own Story

In late 1962, Mongo needed a pianist to fill in for upcoming weekend gigs, and Herbie Hancock got the temporary job. Hancock recalled what happened the night Santamaría discovered "Watermelon Man": Jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd asked Hancock to play the tune for Mongo. Hancock thought, "What does that have to do with the conversation they're talking about? I thought it was a little funky jazz tune." As Hancock played, Mongo got up and said, "Keep playing it!" He went on the stage and played his congas, and "it fit like a glove fits on a hand." The bass player learned the bass line from Hancock's left hand. Little by little, the audience got up from their tables and filled the dance floor, laughing and shrieking, saying "This is a hit! This is fantastic!" Mongo recorded the song on December 17, 1962, and it became a big hit, propelling him into blending Afro-Cuban and African American music.

Did You Know?

• Mongo Santamaría's biggest hit was his rendition of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
• In 1959, Santamaría recorded his composition "Afro Blue," the first jazz standard built upon a typical African 3:2 cross-rhythm, or hemiola.
• Santamaría played some of the first recorded folkloric rumbas, including on the 10-inch 33 1/3 rpm phonorecord *Afro-Cuban Drums* recorded on November 3, 1952.
• He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame the following year.
• Santamaría died on February 1, 2003, in Miami, Florida, after suffering a stroke, at the age of 85.