Mongo Santamaría
Cuban musician (1917-2003) · Cuba · On the map · Musicians · Died at 85
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.
Mongo Santamaría is read about 104 times a day, in 22 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 104 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?People around Mongo
Close ties
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Awards
About this person
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.
Country
Cuba
Category
Musicians
Type
Singer / Musician
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1917 to 2003 · aged 85
