WELCOME! LEARN SALSA & BACHATA!
  • Welcome! Learn Salsa & Bachata!
    • Group Lessons: General Questions
  • Private Lessons
    • Private Lessons: General Questions
    • Pay for your private here!
  • SE Workshop
    • Pay Here For your Workshop
  • SE Salsa / Bachata Bootcamp
    • Pay Here For your Bootcamp
  • SALSAEDDY Tv
  • SE Blog
  • SE Gallery
  • SE Store

4/28/2013

History of Mambo...

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
...A Look at The Origins of Mambo.

Mambo is one of the greatest Latin music rhythms ever created. Originally from Cuba, this genre was also responsible for shaping the sounds of modern Salsa music. The following is a brief introduction to the history of Mambo.

Danzon and The Roots of Mambo

Back in the 1930s, Cuban music was heavily influenced by Danzon. This music style, which appeared in the late 19th century, bore lots of similarities to the original and melodic Cuban Danza.

One of the popular bands at that time was the orchestra of Arcaño y sus Maravillas. The band played lots of Danzon but some of its members introduced variations to the classic beat of Danzon. The members were the brothers Orestes Lopez and Israel "Cachao" Lopez. In 1938, they produced a Danzon single entitled Mambo.

The Lopez brothers incorporated a heavier African beat into their music. This new type of Danzon, which is at the base of Mambo music, was known at that time as Danzon de Nuevo Ritmo. Sometimes, it was simply called Danzon Mambo.

Perez Prado and The Birth of Mambo

Although the Lopez brothers set the basics of Mambo, they really did not move forward with their innovation. In fact, it took a couple of decades for the new style to be able to transform itself into Mambo.

The popularity of Jazz music and the big band phenomenon of the 1940s and 1950s played a major role in the development of Mambo. Damaso Perez Prado, a talented pianist from Cuba, was the one who was able to consolidate the definitive arrangements that pushed Mambo music into a worldwide phenomenon.

Perez Prado moved to Mexico in 1948 and built his career in that country. In 1949, he produced two of his most famous pieces: "Que Rico Mambo," and "Mambo No. 5." It was with these two singles that the mambo fever hit the 1950s. Around that time, the famous Cuban artist Beny More joined the Perez Prado band in Mexico recording enduring tracks like "Bonito y Sabroso."

Tito Puente and The Mambo After Perez Prado

By the mid 1950s, Perez Prado was already a huge point of reference for Latin music all over the world. However, at that time Perez Prado was criticized for producing music that was moving away from the original sounds of Mambo.

Because of this, that decade saw the birth of a new wave of artists willing to preserve the original sounds of Mambo. Artists such as Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente consolidated the original Mambo sound that Perez Prado had previously created.

During the 1960s, Tito Puente became the new king of Mambo. However, that decade was defining a new kind of music of which Mambo was just one of the ingredients. The new sounds that were coming from New York were creating something much bigger: Salsa music.
The Legacy of Mambo

The 1950s and 1960s saw the golden years of Mambo. Nevertheless, those golden years were rapidly overcome by the development of Salsa, a new crossover experiment that borrowed elements from different Afro-Latin rhythms like Son, Charanga, and, of course, Mambo. The deal at that time was not about improving Mambo but rather using it to better develop Salsa.

All things considered, Salsa is probably Mambo's most enduring contribution to Latin music. The influence of Mambo in Salsa is a significant one. For Salsa, the idea of having a full orchestra comes from Mambo. Besides Salsa, Mambo also played a significant role in the development of another popular Cuban invention: Cha Cha Cha.

Although Salsa finished with the golden years of Mambo, this genre is still quite alive in ballroom dance competitions all over the world. Thanks to Mambo, Latin music gained lots of exposure around the world during the 1950's and 1960s. Thanks to Mambo, Salsa and Cha Cha Cha were born. For everything it accomplished, Mambo is definitely one of the most successful creations in Latin music.

Share

0 Comments
Details

    Author...

    ... I would like to share you about certain things that might interest you.

    Archives...

    June 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    Categories...

    All
    Adalberto Santiago
    African History
    African Slaves
    Afro Cuban All Stars
    Andean Music
    Anthony 'El Mayimbe' Santos
    Aventura
    Bachata
    Bachata Heightz
    Bachateros
    Back Street Boys
    Bado
    Benny More
    Beyonce
    Billboard Latin Music Awards
    Bio Ritmo
    Bitterness
    Bossa Nova
    Bronx High School
    Cachao
    Calle 13
    Carlos Y Alejandra
    Celia Cruz
    Cheo Feliciano
    Chico Buarque De Hollanda
    Cold War Period
    Cousin Max
    Criminality
    Cultural Encounter
    Daddy Yankee
    Dictatorships
    Dominican History
    Dominican Music
    Don Omar
    Drug Trafficking
    Educational
    El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico
    Elvis Martinez
    Entren Los Que Quieran
    Excellence
    Fan Favorites
    Fitting Backdrop
    Franchise
    Frank Reyes
    Frazer Harrison
    Getty Images
    Global Appeal
    Greatest Salsa Songs
    Grupo Aventura
    Grupo Niche
    Hector Acosta
    Hector Lavoe
    Hip Hop
    Hispanics
    History Of Latin America
    History Of Spanish Music
    Identities
    Ismael Rivera
    Jairo Varela
    Jazz History
    Joe Veras
    Jose Calderon
    Jose Manuel Calderon
    Juan Luis Guerra
    La Mala Rodriguez
    La Pollera Colora
    Latin American Music
    Latin Boogaloo
    Latin Grammy Award
    Latin Grammy Awards
    Latin Music
    Latin Party Music
    Latin Party Music - Top 50
    Latin Rock
    Latin Urban Music
    La Verdad
    Living In Squalor
    Los Tigres Del Norte
    Los Toros Band
    Luis Vargas
    Machito
    Mambo
    Mana
    Marlins
    Meaningful Experience
    Merengue
    Musical Expressions
    Musical Producer
    National Identities
    Obama
    Orishas
    Oscar D'Leon
    Pete
    Political Oppression
    Portuguese Languages
    Prince Royce
    Professional Career
    Racial Discrimination
    Rafael Trujillo
    Rap
    Rap And Hip Hop
    Rappin Hood
    Rap Singer
    Raulin Rodriguez
    Reggaeton
    Regional
    Resurrection
    Rica Y Apretadita
    Rita Indiana
    Romeo Santos
    Ruben Blades
    Sad Memories
    Salsa
    Salsa Music
    Salsa Songs
    September 9
    Septiembre 9
    Shakira
    Social Backgrounds
    Spanish Conquerors
    Stan Getz
    Teenage Bands
    Tego Calderon
    Tito Rodriguez
    Toby Love
    Traditional Latin Music
    Traditional Rhythms
    Tu Pum Pum
    Unsuccessful Romance
    Urban Music Artists
    Viernes Septiembre
    Wyclef Jean
    Xtreme
    Yoskar Sarante
    Zacarias Ferreira

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture

Copyright © since 2000: SalsaEddy.com. All rights reserved.
  • Welcome! Learn Salsa & Bachata!
    • Group Lessons: General Questions
  • Private Lessons
    • Private Lessons: General Questions
    • Pay for your private here!
  • SE Workshop
    • Pay Here For your Workshop
  • SE Salsa / Bachata Bootcamp
    • Pay Here For your Bootcamp
  • SALSAEDDY Tv
  • SE Blog
  • SE Gallery
  • SE Store