SANTAMARIA, RAMON

SANTAMARIA, RAMON (MONGO). Jazz percussionist (7 April 1922 in Havana, Cuba). He studied violin as a child, then changed over to drums. His early style development was influenced by his grandfather, who was a native of Africa. He began playing professionally at the age of seventeen in local nightclubs of Havana. In 1950 he went to the United States; thereafter he played with various groups, including Perez Prado , Tito Puente , and Cal Tjader . In 1961 he formed his own...