Pérez Prado: A Story of Rhythm, Drumming and Dancing

Fernandez, Raul Castro

doi:10.13169/intejcubastud.13.1.0127

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International Journal of Cuban Studies

Volume 13, Issue 1

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Pérez Prado: A Story of Rhythm, Drumming and Dancing

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research-article

Author(s): Raúl Fernández

Publication date (Print): 1 July 2021

Journal: International Journal of Cuban Studies

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: mambo, drums, dance, rhythm, Benny Moré, rumberas

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Abstract

Despite his success or perhaps because of it, the renowned Cuban musician pérez prado was the target of criticism from some of his contemporaries. For some jazz musicians prado’s compositions lacked substance, were commercial even bordering on corny. Yet he also composed “concerts” which hardly had commercial success as an object. If his mambos are judged as lacking in quality, how to explain the interest classical musicians expressed in them? These questions led me to consider an idea advanced in popular music circles as to whether there was not one but several “pérez prados”, i.e. one that composed mambos; another dedicated to marketing light commercial tunes; yet a third focused on “serious” concert music. An analysis of three central elements in all of his work do not reveal several “pérez prados”. Rather it demonstrates that prado was a single composer with different facets arising from diverse circumstances and artistic and economic needs, but based on the same musical foundations. prado was a maestro whose variations never abandoned the main themes: rhythm, drums and dancing.

Content

Author and article information

Contributors

Raúl Fernández

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.2307/j50005551

Journal ID (jcode): intejcubastud

Title: International Journal of Cuban Studies

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN: 1756-3461

ISSN: 1756-347X

Publication date (Print): 1 July 2021

Volume: 13

Issue: 1 ( doiID: 10.13169/intejcubastud.13.issue-1 )

Pages: 127-149

Affiliations

University of California, Irvine

Article

Publisher ID: intejcubastud.13.1.0127

DOI: 10.13169/intejcubastud.13.1.0127

SO-VID: b6179487-85cf-4ba9-a9ef-f9d36f7d8269

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lang eng

ScienceOpen disciplines: Literary studies,Arts,Social & Behavioral Sciences,History,Cultural studies,Economics

Keywords: mambo,rumberas,drums,dance,rhythm,Benny Moré

References

Acosta, Leonardo (1993) “Reajustes, aclaraciones y criterios sobre Dámaso Pérez Prado”, in Radamés Giro (ed.), El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 61–8.
Acosta, Leonardo (2012) Un siglo de jazz en Cuba. Havana: Ediciones Museo de la Música.
Acuña, Alex (2017) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 17 May.
Armenteros, Chocolate (1996) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 9 September.
Betancourt, Enrique C. (1986) Apuntes para la historia. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Ediciones Universal.
Brennan, Timothy (2008) Secular Devotion: Afro-Latin Music and Imperial Jazz. London: Verso.
Carpentier, Alejo (1985) Entrevistas. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.
Cubillas, Vicente (1952) “Habla Arsenio Rodriguez”, Revista Bohemia, 44(49), 24–5.
Curet Alonso, Tite (1993) Lavida misma. Caracas, Venezuela: M.J. Córdova Producciones.
Delgado, Celeste Fraser and Muñoz, Esteban (1997) Everynight Life: Culture and Dance in Latin/o America. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Díaz, Herman (1954) Down Beat (1 December), 13.
García, David (2006) Arsenio Rodriguez and the Transnational Flows of Latin Popular Music. Philadelphia: Oxford University Press.
Giro, Radamés (ed.) (1993) El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.
Hernández, Erena (1986) La música en persona. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.
Hernández, Erena (1993) “Conversación con Pérez Prado”, in Radamés Giro (ed.), El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 43–51.
Leymarie, Isabelle (2002) Cuban Fire: The Story of Salsa and Latin Jazz. London: Continuum.
López, Cachao (1994) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 24 January.
Marquetti, Rosa (2016) Desmemoriados: Historias de la música cubana. Barranquilla, Colombia: Editorial La Iguana Ciega.
McMains, Juliet (2015) Spinning Mambo into Salsa: Caribbean Dance in Global Commerce. New York: Oxford University Press.
Moré, Benny (1950) Bonito y sabroso. Mexico City: RCA Victor.
O’Farrill, Arturo “Chico” (1954) Down Beat, 21(24), 12–13.
Orejuela, Adriana (2004) El son no se fue de Cuba: Claves para una historia. Bogotá, Colombia: Editores ASC.
Orovio, Helio (2005) “El mambo nació en La Habana”, Tropicana Internacional, 17.
Peraza, Armando (1994) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 29 September.
Reyes Fortún, José (2017) “¡Aaaaaaah … Dilo! Algo más que un grito en la obra del Rey del mambo”, Música Cubana: La Aguja en el surco. Havana: Ediciones Cubanas Artex, 88–92.
Santana Archbold, Sergio (2017) Pérez Prado: ¡Qué rico el mambo! Medellín, Colombia: Ediciones Santo Bassilón.
Santana Archbold, Sergio and Bassi, Rafael (2012) Lucho Bermúdez: Cumbias, porros y viajes. Medellín, Colombia: Ediciones Santo Bassilón.
Santos, Ray (2006) Interviewed by Ewin Martínez Torre, 14 August. Available at http://www.herencialatina.com/Ray_Santos/Entrevista_a_Ray_Santos.htm. (Accessed 30 August 2020.)
Sierra, Carlos J. (1995) Pérez Prado y el mambo México: Ediciones de la Muralla.
Sublette, Ned (2004) Cuba and its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
Valdés, Bebo (2000) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 18 September.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Acosta, Leonardo (1993) “Reajustes, aclaraciones y criterios sobre Dámaso Pérez Prado”, in Radamés Giro (ed.), El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 61–8.

[2] Acosta, Leonardo (2012) Un siglo de jazz en Cuba. Havana: Ediciones Museo de la Música.

[3] Acuña, Alex (2017) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 17 May.

[4] Armenteros, Chocolate (1996) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 9 September.

[5] Betancourt, Enrique C. (1986) Apuntes para la historia. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Ediciones Universal.

[6] Brennan, Timothy (2008) Secular Devotion: Afro-Latin Music and Imperial Jazz. London: Verso.

[7] Carpentier, Alejo (1985) Entrevistas. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.

[8] Cubillas, Vicente (1952) “Habla Arsenio Rodriguez”, Revista Bohemia, 44(49), 24–5.

[9] Curet Alonso, Tite (1993) Lavida misma. Caracas, Venezuela: M.J. Córdova Producciones.

[10] Delgado, Celeste Fraser and Muñoz, Esteban (1997) Everynight Life: Culture and Dance in Latin/o America. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

[11] Díaz, Herman (1954) Down Beat (1 December), 13.

[12] García, David (2006) Arsenio Rodriguez and the Transnational Flows of Latin Popular Music. Philadelphia: Oxford University Press.

[13] Giro, Radamés (ed.) (1993) El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.

[14] Hernández, Erena (1986) La música en persona. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.

[15] Hernández, Erena (1993) “Conversación con Pérez Prado”, in Radamés Giro (ed.), El mambo. Havana: Editorial Letras Cubanas, 43–51.

[16] Leymarie, Isabelle (2002) Cuban Fire: The Story of Salsa and Latin Jazz. London: Continuum.

[17] López, Cachao (1994) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 24 January.

[18] Marquetti, Rosa (2016) Desmemoriados: Historias de la música cubana. Barranquilla, Colombia: Editorial La Iguana Ciega.

[19] McMains, Juliet (2015) Spinning Mambo into Salsa: Caribbean Dance in Global Commerce. New York: Oxford University Press.

[20] Moré, Benny (1950) Bonito y sabroso. Mexico City: RCA Victor.

[21] O’Farrill, Arturo “Chico” (1954) Down Beat, 21(24), 12–13.

[22] Orejuela, Adriana (2004) El son no se fue de Cuba: Claves para una historia. Bogotá, Colombia: Editores ASC.

[23] Orovio, Helio (2005) “El mambo nació en La Habana”, Tropicana Internacional, 17.

[24] Peraza, Armando (1994) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 29 September.

[25] Reyes Fortún, José (2017) “¡Aaaaaaah … Dilo! Algo más que un grito en la obra del Rey del mambo”, Música Cubana: La Aguja en el surco. Havana: Ediciones Cubanas Artex, 88–92.

[26] Santana Archbold, Sergio (2017) Pérez Prado: ¡Qué rico el mambo! Medellín, Colombia: Ediciones Santo Bassilón.

[27] Santana Archbold, Sergio and Bassi, Rafael (2012) Lucho Bermúdez: Cumbias, porros y viajes. Medellín, Colombia: Ediciones Santo Bassilón.

[28] Santos, Ray (2006) Interviewed by Ewin Martínez Torre, 14 August. Available at http://www.herencialatina.com/Ray_Santos/Entrevista_a_Ray_Santos.htm. (Accessed 30 August 2020.)

[29] Sierra, Carlos J. (1995) Pérez Prado y el mambo México: Ediciones de la Muralla.

[30] Sublette, Ned (2004) Cuba and its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.

[31] Valdés, Bebo (2000) Interviewed by Raul Fernandez. 18 September.