Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez was a percussion artist and bandleader from Havana, Cuba. who spent most of his career in the United States. Originally a bongo player, he went on to become a master of the congas. In the 1950s, he moved to New York City, along with bongosero, (and close friend), Armando Peraza, where they both had very successful careers. He was a leading figure in the pachanga and boogaloo music & dance crazes of the 1960s.
