From Wikipedia:

Santamaría learned rumba as a kid in the streets of Havana’s Jesús María barrio.

He reminisced: “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.”

Afro Blue (a Mongo Santamaria composition)

Personnel on Afro Blue

Mongo Santamaria, congas
Bobby Sanabria, drums
Sal Santamaria, percussion
E.J. Allen, trumpet
Sam Furnace, tenor saxophone
Tony Hinson, baritone saxophone
Bob Quaranta, piano
Eddie Resto, bass

Afro Blue – The John Coltrane version

More from Mongo

Tracks:

1. Perez Prado – Mambo del 65 – Mongo on congas, first time he was recorded on the instrument
2. Tito Puente – Four Beat Mambo – Mongo with Willie Bobo, and Patato
3. Mongo Santamaria’s Afro-Cuban Drums
4. Cal Djader Quintet – Afro-Blue – Tune with and by Mongo Santamaria
5. Mongo Santamaria – Mazacote – With Willie Bobo, Al McKibbon (Mongo on bongo)
6. Mongo Santamaria – Canta Bajo – Mongo Introduces La Lupe
7. Mongo Santamaria – Canto Abacua – With Justo Betancourt

– Ken McCarthy
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