Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría (1917–2003) brought the sound of the conga drum from Havana to the world stage. His work with Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, and Herbie Hancock helped define Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban percussion for generations to come.
Tata Güines (1930–2008) is hailed as the godfather of modern conga playing: a Cuban master whose sound, vocabulary and technique shaped generations of congueros.
