Kuba Mambo 1947-1949

Performer: Pérez Prado
Distributor: Rock Bottom Distributing

Notes: Featuring sides recorded in Cuba during the late '40s, Kuba Mambo contains early tracks by Perez Prado and his orchestra. Whether due to a low-fi studio or an under-rehearsed band, many of the tracks unfortunately sound rough, at times having the edge of an obscure live recording. And even though Prado did make some quality recordings around this time (namely with singer Benny More), most of the cuts here sound amateurish; instead of the seamless and fleet blend of brass, percussion, and vocals heard on later classics like "Que Rico El Mambo," the playing on Kuba Mambo sounds limp and out of sync. On the plus side, there's plenty of raw, percussion-heavy tunes like the piano and conga feature "Mi Cazuelita," as well as a few standout vocal numbers such as "No Me Quieras Tanto." For the most part, though, Kuba Mambo sounds ill-formed and certainly pales in comparison to later Prado compilations on Tumbao, like Al Compas del Mambo. In spite of more than a few intriguing moments, this album is best suited to Prado enthusiasts, not newcomers. ~ Stephen Cook

D�maso P�rez Prado, the original Mambo King, served time as an arranger and pianist in several Havana-based bands in the 1930s. By the '40s, the traditional Cuban danzon style was evolving into newer, African-inspired sounds like the cha-cha and the mambo. With an irresistible syncopated rhythm and sensual, brass-heavy melodies, mambo dovetailed nicely with the popular swing music of the day. Prado began to plant the mambo seeds farther away from home, and by the '50s, the mambo craze had taken hold in the U.S. While Prado was not the first musician to play this music, he wrote and/or recorded some of the biggest mambo hits of the era. Though the craze eventually faded, Prado performed and recorded until his death in 1989.

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