Dámaso Pérez Prado

Dámaso Pérez Prado (December 11, 1916 – September 14, 1989) was a Cuban bandleader, pianist, composer and arranger who popularized the mambo in the 1950s. His big band adaptation of the danzón-mambo proved to be a worldwide success with hits such as "Mambo No. 5", earning him the nickname "King of the Mambo". In 1955, Prado and his orchestra topped the charts in the US and UK with a mambo cover of Louiguy's "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)". He frequently made brief appearances in films, primarily of the rumberas genre, and his music was featured in films such as La Dolce Vita.

Pérez Prado began his career as pianist and arranger for the Sonora Matancera, an internationally successful dance music ensemble from his hometown of Matanzas. He later established his own group and made several recordings in Havana in 1946, including "Trompetiana", a self-penned mambo and one of the first examples arranged for big band. He then moved to Mexico where he developed this particular genre in multiple forms, including bolero-mambo (with María Luisa Landín), guaracha-mambo (with Benny Moré) and two forms of instrumental mambo he created: mambo batiri and mambo kaen. The success of his 1949 recordings landed him a contract with RCA Victor in the US, which led to a prolific career in the 1950s. His number 1 hit "Cherry Pink" was followed by other charting singles, such as a cover of "Guaglione" and his own "Patricia", both released in 1958. In the 1960s, Pérez Prado's popularity waned with the advent of other Latin dance rhythms such as pachanga and, later, boogaloo. Despite several innovative albums and a new form of mambo he called "dengue", Pérez Prado moved back to Mexico in the 1970s, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1980. He died there in 1989. His son, Pérez Jr., continues to direct the Pérez Prado Orchestra in Mexico City to this day.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 11, 1917 (Matanzas), Died September 14, 1989 (Mexico City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, composer, piano, performer, arranger, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist

Notes: Name sometimes appears as Dámaso Pérez Prado, D. P. Prado, D. Pérez Prado, Prado, or Perez. Also known by nickname "El Rey del Mambo."

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 133 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor MBS-091227 10-in. before 5/25/1949 El manicero Pérez Prado Piano solo, with percussion instrumentalist, piano  
Victor MBS-091229 10-in. before 5/25/1949 Tacuba Pérez Prado Piano solo, with percussion composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor MBS-091231 10-in. before 4/5/1949 Macóme Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Victor MBS-091232 10-in. 4/5/1949 José Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091233 10-in. before 5/31/1949 Mangolele Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091234 10-in. before 5/31/1949 Sera la negra Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091572 10-in. before 10/31/1950 No me digas nada Maria Luisa Landin ; Pérez Prado Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Victor MBS-091574 10-in. before 9/22/1949 No me mires Maria Luisa Landin ; Pérez Prado Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble leader  
Victor MBS-091701 10-in. before December 1949 Oh caballo Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, composer, instrumentalist, piano  
Victor MBS-091704 10-in. 12/6/1949 Mambo en sax Roberto Pacheco ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance, with saxophone solo instrumentalist, piano, composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091705 10-in. before 1/5/1950 Bongó bongó Silvestre Méndez ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with tumba composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091706 10-in. before 3/7/1950 Mambo no. 5 Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal. instrumentalist, piano, composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091707 10-in. before 1/5/1950 Mambo a la Kenton Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091792 10-in. before 4/26/1950 La múcura Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091823 10-in. before 2/23/1950 Babarabatiri Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Victor MBS-091824 10-in. before 3/7/1950 Qué rico el mambo Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091825 10-in. before 3/17/1950 Tocineta Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091826 10-in. before 2/23/1950 Dolor karabaly Hermanas Gaona ; Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091847 10-in. before 3/17/1950 Ana María Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Victor MBS-091850 10-in. before 7/19/1950 Guajiro Hermanas Gaona ; Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band leader, composer  
Victor MBS-091852 10-in. before 6/1/1950 Locas por el mambo Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091858 10-in. before 3/17/1950 Eres exactamente Fernando Fernández ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091963 10-in. before 4/22/1952 Malagueña Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Victor MBS-091964 10-in. before 10/2/1950 María Cristina Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer, leader  
Victor MBS-091966 10-in. before 2/10/1950 Pachito e-ché Beny Moré ; Pérez Prado Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
(Results 1-25 of 133 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Pérez Prado, Dámaso," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116415.

Pérez Prado, Dámaso. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116415.

"Pérez Prado, Dámaso." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116415

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