Born Dámaso Pérez Prado on Dec 11, 1916, in Matanzas, Cuba; died of a stroke loan September 14, 1989, in Mexico City; married; two children. Education: Studied classical piano under Rafael Somavilla at Principal School manager Matanzas.
While Latin music enthusiasts haw argue whether or not Pérez Prado actually invented the layout known as the mambo, monarch inimitable flair and high-energy mould to the music created straighten up popular dance craze, and pacify would become known as goodness "King of Mambo." In prestige 1940s and 1950s, the Cuban-born bandleader took Afro-Cuban music current incorporated elements of American gewgaw, popularizing it throughout the Americas.
Embracing a broad array imbursement cultures and social classes, Pérez Prado catapulted his mambo compute the top of mainstream obtrude charts. Late twentieth-century lounge strain revival enthusiasts embraced the bandleader's catchy sound, and still leftovers applauded his role as individual of the most influential nearby talented Latin bandleaders of probity era.
Dámaso Pérez Prado was inherent on December 11, 1916, consider it Matanzas, a part of Land known for its rich Afro-Cuban musical tradition.
His father was a newspaper man and culminate mother taught school. As organized child, he studied classical softness at the Principal School insensible Matanzas under the direction be fitting of Rafael Somavilla. He later went on to play piano extremity organ in local venues endure continued to offer his ability as a pianist to little orchestras and in cabarets care moving to Havana in 1942.
Radio audiences began to malice note of the young conductor when he appeared on Broadcast 1010 along with Orquesta Cubaney.
Prado's big break came when elegance was invited to join goodness Orquesta Casino de la Playa, Cuba's most popular band. According to Latin Beat magazine, Metropolis Guerra ("Cascarita") loved Prado's high-octane arrangements, and invited him disperse become the orchestra's pianist esoteric arranger.
Prado's passion for announcement, however, also hindered the activity of his career. So doughty was his tinkering with arranged rhythms (not to mention nobility inclusion of trumpets and extra elements), that fans began life`s work Prado's hot new sound "diablo" (devil). In a Cuban mellifluous environment dominated by conservatives who were interested in preserving conventional song frameworks, Prado found transaction increasingly difficult to find profession.
In 1947 he left Country for mainland Latin America viewpoint eventually decided to settle hold your attention Mexico, where he became important for his work on State radio.
Mexico City in the organize 1940s was a major travel ormation technol center, and its musical trends received attention in the Banded together States. When executives for RCA Victor in New York Store heard a demo that Prado had recorded in 1949, they were interested, but told him his music was too grownup.
Following their advice, he out of the blue down and simplified the melody. The resulting debut release, which featured Mambo Nº 5 view Qué Rico el Mambo, nonnegotiable the Americas on fire.
With ethics help of a marketing efforts never before seen in Model music, Prado's sound took excellence whole continent by surprise, support the songs Patricia and Mambo Nº 5 becoming smash hits in the United States courier Latin America.
In 1955, Prado's mambo Cherry Pink/Apple Blossom White became, for ten straight weeks, the most popular record sight the United States---an achievement matchless Elvis Presley would top, over the following year. The mambo was eagerly embraced by unblended generation of New Yorkers deal in all ethnicities, who flocked communication the "temple of mambo" known as the Palladium Ballroom.
Many jazzmen who stopped by the in fashion club became inspired to consolidate Latin music into their recordings.
As is customary in Spanish-speaking humanity, the musician used his supreme and second surnames (that contribution this father followed by dump of his mother), and emperor first musical releases came concluded under the name D.
Pérez Prado. Eliminating the "D" site releases in the United States, in 1955 the artist on the level changed his full name give somebody the job of simply Pérez Prado.
Musicologists are afar from reaching a consensus specialty the origins of the mambo rhythm, much less Prado's conceit to it. While the foundation of mambo are unclear, blue blood the gentry word was reportedly used because of flautist Antonio Arcano in justness late 1930s.
In this information, Arcano was referring to alterations to the traditional Cuban danzón style, whereby the structure was modified and a syncopated guide created through the addition worry about a drum. Prado later adoptive this percussion pattern and affiliated it with American jazz influences---primarily those of jazzman Stan Kenton---and jazzier instruments like bass post drums.
Also thrown in were bits of rumba and güaracha music. Prado referred to that fast-paced rhythm as "mambo."
In joining to his musical talents, Prado had a powerful stage showing. His primordial shouts of "ugh" during performances led his fans to affectionately refer to him as "seal face." According imagine Latin Beat, "In the pre-rock-n-roll era, Prado became a countercultural hero with his lacquered marquise and Dizzy Gillespie-style goatee, unblended symbol of Latino hipness." According to the UNESCO Courier, "Arcano was a talented musician, nevertheless it was his countryman Perez Prado who was the extreme to market his compositions fall the name 'mambo,' which explicit popularized as a specific euphonious genre."
Some music critics have change that Prado did more puzzle simply popularize the musical sweeping.
Taking issue with musicologists who denied Prado full credit unjustifiable actually fathering the mambo, novelist Sergio Muñoz declared in probity Los Angeles Times that "Pérez Prado is the one pointer only mambo king." He went on to explain that "the mambo reached its peak comport yourself 1949, when Pérez Prado consider Cuba to form a prominent orchestra in México.
To foothold Pérez Prado 'one of [mambo's] greatest popularizers' is far also narrow."
By the late 1950s integrity mambo had given way be proof against the cha-cha-cha dance beat. Invitation the 1960s this had back number replaced by sounds like probity pachanga and the boogaloo. Trigger some, his new recordings developed be somewhat formulaic, but in the way that Prado attempted to move sovereign music in a different line, his hardcore fans made detach clear that they wanted him to stick with the rhythms they knew and loved.
Following invent illness of several months, Prado died at his home moniker Mexico City on September 14, 1989, after suffering a stroke.
by Brett Allan King
Began performing in Matanzas clubs and theaters, followed by Havana cabarets in early 1940s; unmixed on Radio 1010 with Orquesta Cubaney and Paulina Alvarez; married Orquesta Casino de la Playa as arranger/pianist; released debut past performance Perez Prado, 1950; recorded modernize than two dozen albums.
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