a journey back in time
- Mongo Santamaria
Recently MEINL percussion travelled to Cuba to take an in-depth look into the life, history and music of the legendary Mongo Santamaria, the world’s most legendary conguero.
This is Mongo’s birthplace, where he was born on April 07th, 1917 (not 1922) as the grandson of a slave from the Congo and as the son of a construction worker. The house used to be in the “Calle Vives,” which is located in the “Jésus Maria” district of Havana, Cuba.
Mongo grew up in the “Anton Recio 310,” a small side road in La Habana. His sister Consuelo lives at this address with her family to this day. When he reached the age of 17, he began to work and to live a double life. As a mailman he delivered letters during the daytime, and at night he began playing music in the clubs. The legendary Celia Cruz, who lived in the same neighbourhood, spent a lot of time with Mongo and they often performed together in La Habana’s nightclubs.
The Forties
La Habana in the Forties: The city was packed with music clubs, such as the now decayed bar “Campoamor.” or the legendary “Tropicana Club,” “Montmartre” or the “Sans Souci,” all places in which Mongo used to play. In those years, Cuba discovered Mexico and its rich musical heritage. Subsequently, the Rhumba, Mambo and Cha Cha Cha were all imported and musically assimilated. “In our mind, Mexico was the most modern and perfect country” says Mongo’s sister Neris Tomasa. Back then, Mexico had a lot of glamour and also gold, which meant a lot of money.
In the spring of 1948, Mongo went out to Mexico City with the piano player Perez Prado to back up the Cuban dance act, “Pablito & Lilón.” However, the tour was cancelled and Mongo stayed in Mexico illegally. It was while he was in Mexico when Mongo had a bad accident, broke his hip, and almost lost his entire foot. The same year, he travelled to the U.S., visiting Las Vegas and also playing in Manhattan with “Pablito & Lilón”. Mongo was a pioneer in bringing the traditional Cuban Rhythms into American Jazz. After this U.S. visit, Mongo returned to and two years later, legally immigrated to the United States of America. That is when his career really began.
Mongo always remained emotionally connected with his homeland of Cuba and in 1978 he returned to play there with other Cuban musicians.
Musical Exchange
Alexis Vázquez Aguilera, Vice President of the Cuban Institute of Music reports
“a lot of Cuban musicians stayed in contact with Mongo while he was in the U.S. and knew that it was his dream to play in this homeland again. When it finally happened, all of his friends, students from our institute, and everybody came. It was a real All-Star concert. He was accompanied by the best musicians, like the trombone player Juan Pablo Torres and his band Alego Nuevo. We have all been very surprised to see that Mongo covered his fingers with some sort of tape. The power and strength with which he played was incredible and is unequalled to this day. After the show we partied until the morning, and we all had a fantastic time.”
The concerts in Cuba were very historical. Mongo opened the door to a musical exchange between traditional Cuban Music and American Jazz. He never cared about politics. Even during the US’s embargo against Cuba, Mongo always travelled to La Habana to visit his family. Right before Mongo died he visited Cuba for the last time and while having a coffee with his sister Neris he said to her: “Negrita, I can let go now. As a man, I have lived at least three lives.”
WHAT DO FELLOW MUSICIANS OF MONGO SANTAMARIA HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HIM?
César “Pupy” Pedroso
- Cèsar "Pupy" Padroso
Pianist César is the band leader of one of La Habana’s most famous Salsa bands, “Pupy y los que son son.”
Mongo was an impressive musician and a very nice guy. Without a doubt he was one of the most significant percussionists who ever came out of Cuba. He made Cuban music popular all over the world. His greatest achievement was that he fused Latin-American Music with the modern American Styles like Jazz, Rock and Blues. This fusion was very strong and is clearly his legacy. Many have copied this mix later on. Us older Cuban musicians know Mongo very well and followed his career very closely.
Oscar Valdés
- Oscar Valdès
In 1972, “Irakere” was founded in his house. Today, Oscar is the band leader of “Diakara” with whom he visited Mongo in Miami.
Playing various styles was typical for Mongo. He could mix and play any rhythm and was always looking for new elements to combine with Latin jazz. The secret of his success was the foundation he had. Mongo taught us the principle that with a good foundation you are able to play anything, but without it you have nothing.
Rolando Valdés
- Rolando Valdès
82 year old Rolando and Mongo were good buddies when Mongo was young. He is now playing with the “Orchestra Sensación” and is on tour with the “Old Stars Habana.”
Mongo used to be my neighbour when he was living in the Jesús Maria quarter of La Habana. He looked like a typical Cuban. He was dark skinned with delicately chiselled features and was always reserved and spoke very quietly. He was small, but a huge ladies’ man with style.
Mongo took the music very seriously. Back then the “Son” was satirized, but Mongo knew how to play it. He liked the “Rhumba” best though. Not only the music, but especially in terms of a lifestyle. In March 1969, I visited him in New York and that’s where I saw those wide and colourful shirts he always wore for the first time. He loved those shirts like a second skin.
Mongo had already been a respected musician before he started his triumphal procession in the United States. It was his fate to become the conga king.
Mongo`s Revival in La Habana
It was November 20, 2005, and the jazz café near the riverside walk “Malecon“ in La Habana was filled to capacity. Here is where Cuba‘s best bands perform every night.
That November night was a tribute event to Ramón “Mongo” Santamaria. His whole family sat in the audience and everybody was proudly dressed for the occasion.
Mongo’s nephew Roberto Santamaria, a conga player in his own right, initiated a major jam session which was supported by many other musicians from the local scene.
Olavo Alèn Rodriguez
- Olavo Alèn Rodriguez
“In his native town, there are many reasons to savour Mongo’s accomplishments,” said the Cuban musicologist Dr. Olavo Alén Rodriguez during a passionate speech. There is no other musician that fused Afro-Cuban rhythms with American Jazz like Mongo. He recorded more than 200 records, and to this day there is still a fight among Latin-American musicians about his relationship to the source of Salsa-Music. For Mongo, it was nothing but a marketing name used to fill a musical gap. For Mongo, the allegation that Salsa has its roots in New York was an insult to Cuba.
“In hard times,” Dr. Rodriguez said, “he dispelled the myth and defended the musical tradition of his home country.”
“If you want to hear the roots of Mongo’s music, you have to go to Mantazas,” Dr. Rodriguez recommended. Mantazas is about 100km to the east of La Habana.
Pedro Justiz Peruchin
- Pedro Justiz Peruchin
“Mongo is a Cuban musician!”, exclaimed Pedro Justiz Peruchin, who believes that in tradition there is no place for interpretation. He used to play a lot with Mongo before he left for Mexico in 1948. His son Peruchin JR is regarded as Cuba‘s best guitar player.
When Mongo came to La Habana in 1978 for his only Cuban performance, Peruchin, who was 27 years old at that time was asked to play with him and did so without hesitation. He knew about the famous international musician, even if he wasn’t allowed to buy any US records because of the embargo.
The show in 1978 was a big event. Everybody was happy to join the gig remembers Alexis Vazquez Aguilera, who organized the show in the American Theatre back then and who is now vice president of the Cuban music institution. It was a great Mongo All Stars-Concert, with a big after show party at the hotel Rivera. They still talk about that one...
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