History of Mambo Dancing

The Mambo was originally played as any Rumba dance with a riff ending. It may be described as a riff or a Rumba with emphasis on the fourth beat 4/4′ time. Originally played by some musicians in 2/4 time with a break or emphasis on 2 and 4. Native Cubans or dancers, without any training would break on any beat. The wild exciting music and rhythmical body movements make the earthy Mambo irresistible.

In the 1940’s Americans became fascinated by Latin American rhythms. The original Mambo music, El Guardia Con El Toileted, had its beginning in 1944 as a Rumba with a riff improvisation. Arthur Murray Studios became famous for turning out some of the best Mambo dancers of the era. As the parent of Cha Cha and Salsa, the Mambo is an exciting challenge for all dancers.

The Mambo Latin ballroom dance could not have been conceived earlier since up until that time Cuba and American Jazz were still not wedded. The Victor records of Anselmo Sacaras entitled “Mambo” in 1944 were probably the beginning and since then other Latin American bandleaders such as Tito Rodriguez, Pupi Campo, Tito Puente, Perez Prado, Machito and Xavier Cugat have achieved styling of their own and furthered the Mambo craze. If you want to get in on the action, sign up for our Mambo dance 

Characteristics of Mambo Dancing

The components of Mambo are rock steps and side steps and foot styling includes points, kicks or flicks. The Latin hip movement in Mambo is an important aspect of the dance. The overall flavor of the dance is contained in the translation of the word Mambo which means “shake it” or “say it”.

Mambo Music

Mambo music is written in 4/4 time with each measure divided into four beats with the important musical accents occurring on the first and third beats. This dance can be done over a wide range of tempos.

Mambo songs and artists include:

• Tequila, by The Champs
• Mambo #5, by Perez “Prez” Prado
• Cherry Cherry, by Neil Diamond
• Livin’ La Vida Loca, by Ricky Martin