Pérez Prado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pérez Prado
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dámaso Pérez Prado |
| Also known as | "Prez" Prado, "The King of the Mambo" |
| Born | December 11, 1916 Matanzas, Cuba |
| Died | September 14, 1989 (aged 72) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Genres | Mambo |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, bandleader, composer |
| Years active | 1933–1987 |
| Labels | RCA Victor |
| Associated acts | Sonora Matancera, The Pérez Prado Orchestra |
Dámaso Pérez Prado (December 11, 1916 – September 14, 1989) was a famous Cuban musician. He was a bandleader, pianist, composer, and arranger. Pérez Prado became known as "The King of the Mambo" because he made mambo music popular in the 1950s.
His big band style of mambo was a huge hit around the world. Songs like "Mambo No. 5" became very famous. In 1955, his orchestra had a number one hit in the US and UK. This was with their mambo version of "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)". Pérez Prado also appeared in movies, and his music was used in films like La Dolce Vita.
Pérez Prado started his music career as a pianist. He also arranged music for the Sonora Matancera band in Cuba. Later, he formed his own band. In 1946, he recorded songs in Havana, including "Trompetiana." This was one of the first mambo songs arranged for a big band. He then moved to Mexico and developed many types of mambo music.
His recordings in 1949 were very successful. This led to a contract with RCA Victor in the US. He had a very busy career in the 1950s. After "Cherry Pink," other hits followed, like "Guaglione" and "Patricia" in 1958. In the 1960s, other Latin dance styles became popular. Pérez Prado's music was not as popular then. He moved back to Mexico in the 1970s and became a Mexican citizen in 1980. He passed away there in 1989. Today, his son, Pérez Jr., still leads the Pérez Prado Orchestra in Mexico City.
Contents
The Life of Pérez Prado
Early Years and Musical Start
Dámaso Pérez Prado was born in Matanzas, Cuba, on December 11, 1916. His mother, Sara Prado, was a school teacher. His father, Pablo Pérez, was a journalist. Pérez Prado learned to play classical piano when he was young. Later, he played the organ and piano in local clubs.
For a while, he was a pianist and arranger for the Sonora Matancera. This was a very well-known music group in Cuba. He also worked with orchestras in Havana during the 1940s. His friends sometimes called him "El Cara de Foca," which means "Seal Face."
Moving to Mexico and Mambo Success
In 1949, Pérez Prado moved to Mexico. There, he started his own band. He signed a recording deal with RCA Victor in Mexico City. He quickly became known for his mambo music. Mambo is a fast and lively version of the Cuban danzón dance.
Pérez Prado's mambos were special. They had strong brass sounds and clear saxophone parts. He also had a famous trademark sound, which was a grunt. He often said "¡Dilo!" ("Say it!") in his songs. In 1950, a music arranger named Sonny Burke heard "Qué rico el mambo" in Mexico. He recorded it in the United States, and it became a hit. This led Pérez Prado to tour the US. He later recorded the song again as "Mambo Jambo." His shows in 1951 were completely sold out.
RCA Victor producers signed Pérez Prado to their US label. They produced his best-selling song, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White." Pérez Prado and his Orchestra performed at the tenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert. This big event was held in Los Angeles in 1954.
Famous Mambo Hits
Pérez Prado wrote many famous songs. These include "Mambo No. 5" and "Mambo No. 8." "Mambo No. 5" later became a number one hit for Lou Bega in 1999. The mambo music craze was at its peak in the US in 1955. That year, Pérez Prado's song "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" reached number one on the American music charts.
This song was a cha-cha-chá version of a piece by French composer Louiguy. It stayed at number one for 10 weeks and sold over one million copies. It also reached number one in the UK and Germany. Pérez Prado first recorded this song for the movie Underwater! in 1954. In the movie, Jane Russell dances to "Cherry Pink."
In 1958, one of Pérez Prado's own songs, "Patricia," became a number one hit. It was the last song to reach number one on the Jockeys and Top 100 charts. The next week, the new Billboard Hot 100 chart started. "Patricia" was number two on that first Hot 100 chart. The song also reached number one in Germany and number eight in the UK.
Worldwide Popularity and Challenges
Pérez Prado's music became very popular in the United States. This was during a time when Latin music was gaining interest outside of Hispanic communities. He also appeared in movies in the US, Europe, and Mexico. He was often seen with his unique goatee beard and turtle-neck sweaters.
At the height of his fame in Mexico, Pérez Prado was asked to leave the country in 1953. He could not return until 1964. There was a story that he was deported for making a mambo version of the Mexican National Anthem. This would have been against Mexican law. However, the real reason was different. A businessman had hired Pérez Prado to work, but Pérez Prado chose to work with someone else who paid him more. The first businessman reported him to the authorities because Pérez Prado did not have a work permit.
Pérez Prado was recording music for a movie when agents approached him. He paid them to let him finish recording one last song before leaving. His eleven-year absence ended when Mexican singer María Victoria helped him. She spoke with the Mexican President, Adolfo López Mateos, to allow him back into Mexico.
By 1960, Pérez Prado's popularity in the US began to fade. New music styles like rock and roll became popular. His contract with RCA Victor ended in the mid-1960s. After that, his music was mostly released on smaller labels. These were mainly in Latin America and Japan. After returning to Mexico, he had a final hit there. His song "Norma, la de Guadalajara" reached number one on the Mexican charts in 1968.
Later Life and Legacy
In the early 1970s, Pérez Prado moved to his apartment in Mexico City. He lived there with his wife and two children, Dámaso Pérez Salinas (Pérez Prado Jr.) and María Engracia. Even though his US career had slowed, he was still very popular in Latin America and Japan. He continued to tour and record music. He was a regular performer on Mexican radio and television.
In 1981, Pérez Prado was part of a musical show called Sun in Mexico City. In 1983, his brother, Pantaleón Pérez Prado, who was also a musician, passed away. Some news reports mistakenly said Dámaso had died. Pérez Prado's last performance in the US was in Hollywood on September 12, 1987. The show was completely full. This was also the year he made his last recording. He had health problems for the next two years. He passed away from a stroke in Mexico City on September 14, 1989, at 72 years old.
Pérez Prado's Impact on Music
Pérez Prado did not invent mambo music. Orestes López and his brother Cachao created it in 1937. However, Pérez Prado is known for making mambo popular around the world in the 1950s. He changed the fast mambo rhythm to fit the American-style big bands of the 1940s. This was different from the quieter Cuban charanga style.
He also worked with many musicians who later became successful. In 1946, he worked with guaracha singer Orlando Guerra "Cascarita." In Mexico, he helped start the career of Beny Moré in 1949. They had hits like "Anabacoa." In America, he worked with famous trumpeters like Maynard Ferguson and Pete Candoli. He also worked with percussionists like Armando Peraza and Mongo Santamaría.
In 1999, Pérez Prado was honored after his death. He was added to the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Music by Pérez Prado
Singles
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Albums
All albums were released by RCA Victor.
- Pérez Prado Plays Mucho Mambo For Dancing (1951)
- Voodoo Suite (1955)
- Mambo By The King (1955)
- Mambo Mania (1955)
- Havana 3 A.M. (1956)
- Latin Satin (1957)
- Mambo Happy! (1958)
- Dilo (Ugh!) (1958)
- "Prez" (1958) - This was Pérez Prado's only album to reach the US Top 40, peaking at No. 22 in May 1959.
- Pops and Prado (1959)
- A Touch of Tabasco with Rosemary Clooney (1959)
- Big Hits By Prado (1960)
- Perez Prado's Rockambo (1961)
- Latino! (1961)
- La Chunga (1961)
- Exotic Suite of the Americas (1962)
- Now! Twist Goes Latin (1962)
- Our Man In Latin America (1963)
- Dance Latino (1965)
- The Best Of Perez Prado (1967) - A re-release of Big Hits By Prado.
- This Is Perez Prado (1971)
- Perez Prado - Pure Gold (1976) - Another re-release of Big Hits By Prado.
Movies Featuring Pérez Prado
- Serenade in Acapulco (1951)
- Underwater! (1955)
- Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! (1956)
- Girls for the Mambo-Bar (1959)
Images for kids
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Pérez Prado, "The King of the Mambo."
See also
In Spanish: Dámaso Pérez Prado para niños
