Even before his recording of “Watermelon Man” turned him into a crossover star in 1963, Mongo Santamaria was a hitmaker in the Latin music world, and the acknowledged heir to his late countryman Chano Pozo. The Cuban congo master had applied his diverse experiences, acquired through exploring the musics of his homeland and working for nearly a decade in the ensembles of Tito Puente and Cal Tjader, and had turned out classics like “Afro Blue” and “Para Ti” on the several Fantasy albums from which this well-balanced sampler is drawn. With the constant support of his friend Willie Bobo on timbales, and a revolving cast of the best Afro-Cuban musicians, Santamaria strikes grooves that range from folkloric to modern yet always stay danceable.

with José "Chombo" Silva, Rolando Lozano, João Donato, Felix "Pupi" Legarreta, Niño Rivera, Francisco Aguabella, Modesto Duran, Carlos Vidal, Armando Peraza, Willie Bobo, Rudy Calzado