Damaso perez prado biography of christopher

Born Dámaso Pérez Prado on December 11, 1916, in Matanzas, Cuba; died of a stroke on September 14, 1989, in Mexico City; married; two children. Education: Studied classical piano under Rafael Somavilla at Principal School of Matanzas.

While Latin music enthusiasts may argue whether or not Pérez Prado actually invented the style known as the mambo, his inimitable flair and high-energy approach to the music created a popular dance craze, and he would become known as the "King of Mambo." In the 1940s and 1950s, the Cuban-born bandleader took Afro-Cuban music and incorporated elements of American jazz, popularizing it throughout the Americas.

Embracing a broad array of cultures and social classes, Pérez Prado catapulted his mambo to the top of mainstream pop charts. Late twentieth-century lounge music revival enthusiasts embraced the bandleader's catchy sound, and still others applauded his role as one of the most influential and talented Latin bandleaders