The Mambo, a wild and exotic musical form and dance that swept the Latino world in the late 1940s, and unbelievably went on to become a huge pop phenomenon worldwide! It's originator was Perez Prado, Cuba's gift to the world; The Prez! El Bombero! EL ANIMAL!!!These are his long lost original Latino hits, far wilder and more ethnic than his later pop repertoire. Recorded in Mexico City, centre of the record/film business then as now, every one of these absolutely wild and uncompromising numbers was a major hit! How could they not be?! Never before featured on CD, "I Primal" features 26 of Prado's Latino market mega-hits between 1949-1953. The combination of soaring Stan Kenton-inspired trumpets and saxes with the most backwoods afro-cuban percussion yet heard on record lost Prado his jobs at swanky Habana hotels, but ultimately, against the odds, made him a star!! The insane leaping about and animal exclamations which were his in-performance trademarks are all over these wonderful live-in-the-studio recordings, proof that the world pre-Rock 'N' Roll did not lack Rock 'N' Roll madmen! Prado was the daddy of them all! The Mambo King in Zoot Suit and fedora, driving them all insane! Featuring the out-there vocals of Cuba's most legendary and beloved singer, Beny More we defy you to keep still when this hits the deck. And lest you think of Prado as a figure from prehistory, how's this as a performer and songwriter: "Guaglione" was a number one hit in the UK in 1995 after being featured in a Guinness beer commercial; "Patricia" was adopted as the theme for the HBO documentary series Real Sex; and "Mambo No. 5", Prado's first hit single, was adapted into the unnervingly catchy novelty hit "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)" by Lou Bega in 1999... now hear where it all began.
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