Perez Prado

Have you ever wondered why the U.S. went through a mambo craze in the 1950s and made guys like Desi Arnaz into national sweethearts? Well, Perez Prado is the man behind the mystery. He helped to create the mambo, and his recordings remain definitive of the era and the genre -- not to mention that they work equally well in a vintage lounge atmosphere or on the dancefloor.