Monguito Santamaria

NOW Monguito’s fire is burning on his newest release titled “The Son Rises”, featuring a stellar lineup including long time friend and bassist Pepe Aparicio, who worked closely as the senior Mongo Santamaria’s bassist and musical director over many years in Miami, where Monguito now makes his home base. Rest assured, ritmo and soul is everywhere on this four song teaser disc designed to launch the band’s 2008 tour and act as catalyst for the full length recording to come. It’s been quite an evolution of happenings and emotions for Monguito - especially with the 2003 passing of his beloved and legendary father, Mongo - surely affecting the soulful, firey Afro-Cuban sounds heard on these fine cuts, “Dejala”, “Come Candela”, “Caoba” and Rotumba”. Monguito, armed with his piano and a lifetime of legendary inspiration, surrounds himself with a battalion of powerful musical accompanists, and his intention is to hit the streets running, transporting the exitement and energy of a new year, and new band, to the live stage.
THEN Piano player Monguito Santamaria recorded a series of LPs for Fania during the late ’60s and early ’70s that earned notice for their bass-heavy grooves and anthemic status for Latin soul fans. The son of Afro-Cuban conga hero Mongo Santamaria (and not to be confused with the vocalist Monguito who recorded with Johnny Pacheco), Monguito Santamaria grew up in New York surrounded by music, especially while his father played in Tito Puente’s orchestra during the ’50s. He also studied music and made a few recordings while at Brooklyn College. Name recognition undoubtedly helped him get a contract with Fania, but his late-’60s LPs, Hey Sister and Black Out, were some of the best in the Latin soul style sweeping the scene during that era. Still, he released only one more LP, 1974’s En Una Nota!. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
*CORRECTIONS Monguito in fact did not record during his studies at Brooklyn College. A year or so later he and the the band (Andy Gonzalez-bass; Sam Turner- congas; Jose Mangual Jr.-bongos,/cowbell; Ronnie Hill-timbales/perc; Rene McClean-sax; Harvey Hargraves-trumpet; Joe Daly-trombone; Willy Bruno- voc; Ronnie Marks-voc; with occasional features by Jerry Gonzalez- trumpet/perc) auditioned for Jerry Mascuci and Johnny Pacheco. As a result The Monguito Santamaria Orchestra was signed to the Fania label and went on to record several albums.
MORE REVIEWS
Monguito Santamaria -- Black Out ...Fania, Late 60s. Stone funky Latin soul from the younger member of the Santamaria family! Black Out is one of Monguito’s greatest -- a hip album of groovy late 60s tracks that perfectly blend the Latin and soul sides of the Spanish Harlem scene. Marty Sheller handled arrangements on some of the album’s best cuts, giving them the same tight funky feel as his best work with the senior member of the Santamaria clan -- and Ronnie Marks sings English language lyrics on the tracks "All Your Talk", "I’ve Got To Find", "Crying Time", and "You Need Help". Other tracks are Latin, and titles include "Guarara", "Sueno Contigo", and "Todo Es Todo".
Monguito Santamaria -- Hey Sister ... Fania, Late 60s
Oooooo-weee -- a monster album by one of our favorite talents of the Latin soul era! Monguito Santamaria had a really great way of putting the electric bass right up front in his tracks -- kicking things up with a bouncing groove that’s as sock-boogaloo as boogaloo can get, and which makes for some of the most outta site tracks of his era! Nearly every number’s a winner -- and the album’s stuffed with killer groovers like "Groovetime", “Work Out", "Monguito’s Theme", "Mambo New", "Chango", "Hey Sister", and "El Dorado".

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