Pérez Prado

Long before Lou Bega topped the charts in 1999 with his adaptation of Pérez Prado's song 'Mambo No. 5', the Cuban-born bandleader had been wowing audiences with his distinctive dance music. Prado rode the crest of the 1950s mambo craze, having relocated to Mexico from Havana where he had been a member of the famous Sonora Mantancera, one of Cuba's most successful groups. Once he was settled in Mexico, Prado established a new band and, after signing a deal with RCA Victor, began recording Latin music and, in particular, mambos. His cha cha version of the Louiguy composition 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White' sold over a million copies reaching number one in the USA, UK and Germany. More hits followed and in 1958 Prado's song 'Patricia' became the final number one on Billboard's Jockeys and Top 100 charts before it became known as the Hot 100. With the advent of rock & roll the audience for Prado's music diminished and in the '60s his record sales dwindled dramatically. His music lived on in Latin America however, and in the '70s Prado settled permanently in Mexico, where he continued to perform and tour until his death from a stroke in 1989.