Our Man in Havana [Import]

Track Listings

1. Jamaicuba

2. Manila

3. He Guapacha

4. Cha Cha Rock

5. Vengan Pollos

6. Barandanga

7. Linda Guajira

8. Vamos A Gozar

9. Miss Patti Cha Cha

10. Viva La Felicidad

11. Tele Mina For Chango (God Of Thunder)

12. Olla De For Olla (Wife Of Chango)

13. Yemaya Olodo For Olla (Mother Of Chango)

14. Yeye-O For Ochun (Counterpart Of Venus)

15. Wolenche For Chango (God Of Thunder)

16. Aqua Limpia (Guaguanco)

17. Ochun Meme (Columbia)

18. Mexico (Guaguanco)

19. Manana Son Manana (Columbia)

20. Complicaciones (Guaguanco)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Our Man in Havana is in fact a compilation of two marvelous albums (Our Man in Havana and Bembe) recorded by conguero Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria in Havana in the early 1960s. By then, Santamaria, who had left Cuba in 1948, had already made his mark with Tito Puente and Cal Tjader and had released his classic piece "Afro-Blue." In the songs from the original Our Man, Santamaria tinkers with the standard instrumentation of the Cuban conjunto and the orquesta tipica and revisits classic styles such as cha cha. The second part of the set explores the ritual music of the Orishas (often referred to as Santeria) and traditional rumba. For this project, Santamaria assembled a group that included singers Merceditas Valdes and Carlos Embale and, for good measure, his friend Willie Bobo, the only non-Cuban. The austere recording and crisp playing bring out the beauty and power of this music, at once deeply spiritual and earthy. Mongo Santamaria went on to make his name in Latin jazz history with his playing, his bands, and his writing. But this album, showing his more traditional side, is a classic. --Fernando Gonzalez

Our Man in Havana,Mongo Santamaria,Zyx,Latin

Latin

Music

Jazz

Music

Our Man in Havana [Import]

Tracks:

Guaglione
Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White
Patricia
Mambo No. 5
Ruletero
Peanut Vendor (El Manicero)
One Night
Mambo Jambo
In a Little Spanish Town
Paris
Faraona
Flight of the Bumblebee
Borrachita (I'll Never Love Again)
My Roberta
Adios Mi Chaparrita (Goodbye My Little Angel)
Beautiful Margaret
Freeway Mambo
Maria Bonita
Historia de un Amor
La Rubia
Leyenda Mexicana
Rockambo Baby
O.K. Joe Calypso
Adios Pampa Mia Cha Cha Cha
Mama Teach Me to Dance

Album Description

25 track retrospective for the King Of Mambo. Includes 'Guaglione', 'Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White', 'Patricia'and 'Mambo No.5'. 1998 Camden/ BMG release.

Album Details

Fantastic Anthology from the Original King of Mambo. Includes the Original Version of Mambo No.5, Recently Interpolated by Lou Bega.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Collection.......2006-01-07

I would suggest that this compilation is very good indeed. I grew up listening to Perez on vinyl and this CD has several primo tunes from several of his very early 60s or late 50s albums. Couldn't agree less with the other review. Quality is high & the beats will get you dancin'!!

Odd mix of originals and rerecordings.......2003-03-17

Supposedly, this piece from the Camden subsidiary of U.K. RCA is a collection of the "very best" of the King of Mambo, Perez Prado. And while the infectious, mostly-mambo melodies are great listening fun, the idea that these are "originals" as indicated on the jewel box spline just ain't true. Most of these tracks are 1959 stereo rerecordings of the earlier hit and album versions although there are a few original mono versions here. Apparently, the compiliers either did not know what they were grabbing from the tape vaults or just opted for the seemingly superior-sounding later stereo recordings. Though not necessarily inferior and actually sonically superior to the flatter, older mono originals, some of these stereo versions are considerably and sometimes annoyingly dissimilar - "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" being one of the most egregious. Musically, totally enjoyable but if you're a purist looking for the original hit versions, pass this up and try to get the now out-of-print Rhino piece done back in the mid-90's even though that collection has fewer tracks. Until someone comes along with an all-inclusive original hits package of Prado's work, these pieces will have to fill the bill.

Average customer rating:

Our Man In Havana (Indeed)!
The traditional side of Mongo Santamaria

Our Man in Havana
Mongo Santamaria
Manufacturer: Fantasy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

General | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Mongo Introduces La Lupe
Afro Roots
Skin on Skin: The Mongo Santamaria Anthology 1958-1995
Latino
Rican/Struction

ASIN: B000000XFM
Release Date: 1993-03-21

Tracks:

Jamaicuba
Manila
He Guapacha
Cha Cha Rock
Vengan Pollos
Barandanga
Linda Guajira
Vamos A Gozar
Miss Patti Cha Cha
Viva la Felicidad
Tele Mina For Chango (God Of Thunder)
Olla De For Olla (Wife Of Chango)
Yemaya Olodo For Olla (Mother Of Chango)
Yeye-O For Ochun (Counterpart Of Venus)
Wolenche For Chango (God Of Thunder)
Aqua Limpia (Guaguanco)
Ochun Mene (Columbia)
Mexico (Guaguanco)
Ma Son Ma (Columbia)
Complicaciones (Guaguanco)

Amazon.com essential recording

Our Man in Havana is in fact a compilation of two marvelous albums (Our Man in Havana and Bembe) recorded by conguero Ramon "Mongo" Santamaria in Havana in the early 1960s. By then, Santamaria, who had left Cuba in 1948, had already made his mark with Tito Puente and Cal Tjader and had released his classic piece "Afro-Blue." In the songs from the original Our Man, Santamaria tinkers with the standard instrumentation of the Cuban conjunto and the orquesta tipica and revisits classic styles such as cha cha. The second part of the set explores the ritual music of the Orishas (often referred to as Santeria) and traditional rumba. For this project, Santamaria assembled a group that included singers Merceditas Valdes and Carlos Embale and, for good measure, his friend Willie Bobo, the only non-Cuban. The austere recording and crisp playing bring out the beauty and power of this music, at once deeply spiritual and earthy. Mongo Santamaria went on to make his name in Latin jazz history with his playing, his bands, and his writing. But this album, showing his more traditional side, is a classic. --Fernando Gonzalez

Customer Reviews:

Our Man In Havana (Indeed)!.......2004-06-16

At the insistence of my friend Carlo, I revisited "Our Man In Havana" on the 45th anniversary of this delightful album (actually, I should say two albums, because they took two albums and put them onto one disc and then made one album!), and rediscovered the magnificence of Mr. Santamaria's shedding and leaving behind (if only for the moment) America and its influences as he escaped to less visible and more traditional Cuban setting. This album has inspired me to do the same!

Mr. Santamaria's expert leadership, the bongos (Willi Bobo!), the vocal work by Carlos Embale and 'Agua Limpia' and 'Complicaciones', the toying a bit with the cha-cha sound..I should say that our world today could (perhaps) use a bit of more the mood of the music (and not Mr. Castro!) from Cuba in the late 50's and early 1960's!

The traditional side of Mongo Santamaria.......2000-05-13

If you are used to the fusion and jazz oriented Mongo then this album presents the other side of Mongo: traditional Cuban setting. Is actually two albums in one, the first is a conjunto ensemble doing some terrific sones, cha-chas, etc. the other is a traditional rumba setting. Both are great but the rumbas are among the finest on record with great singing, feeling and of course 'Mongo en el quinto'. My favorite "Agua Limpia Todo" with the great Carlos Embale, Merceditas Valdez and el Viejo Macucho.