The Mambo dance originated in Cuba's Haitian settlements. In Haiti back country, the "Mambo" is a
voodoo priestess, serving the villagers as counselor, healer, and exorcist, their soothsayer and organizer
of public entertainment. The actual moment associating the voodoo priestess with the fascinating rhythm
resulting from the fusion of Swing and Cuban music is, sadly, lost.
Mambo music's origins: Arsenio Rodriguez, a famous, and blind, Cuban tres player, built Mambo
from the "Diablo Rhythm" of the Congolese Abakua religion - taught to him by his grandfather, a former slave. The rhythm is born of the African Bat� Drums, consisting of three hand-held drums, the Iy�, It�tele and the Ok�nkolo. These drums play a key role in the development of Latin music.
The "Mambo" dance is attributed to Perez Prado who introduced it at La Tropicana, a nightclub in Havana in 1943. The Mambo was originally played as a Rumba might be, but with a riff ending, a fast Rumba with a break or emphasis on 2 and 4 in 4/4 time.
Mambo first appeared in the United States at New York's Park Plaza Ballroom - a favorite hangout of enthusiastic dancers from Harlem.
A modified version of the "Mambo" (the original dance had to be toned down due to its violent acrobatics) was soon presented in New York and Miami nightclubs, then in dance studios across the country. One of the most difficult of dances, perhaps Mambo's single most important contribution to social dance is that it led to the development of the Cha-Cha.
The Mambo's popularity is currently surging, due in part to several films which recently featured the dance, plus the efforts of a man named Eddie Torres. A New York City dance pro and Mambo fanatic, Eddie is determined to reintroduce dancers to what he believes is the authentic style of mambo dancing, now called Salsa.