Amari | uk

Nicknamed by his father with the Senegalese word for 'tribal chief', Mongo Santamaria began his musical training on the violin, but switched to drums and percussion while still in his teens. Having dropped out of school to pursue the life of a professional musician in Havana, Mongo relocated to Mexico as part of a dance troupe before emigrating to New York in 1950, where he worked with leading Latin ensembles such as those of Perez Prado and Tito Puente. He stayed with Puente's band for over six years, building a reputation for himself through his energetic drum duels with the...