Xavier Cugat

Francisco De Asis Javier Cugat Mingall De Cru Y Deulofeo, better known as Xavier Cugat, paved the way as a Latin dance music pioneer. Throughout his long career which lasted for more than eight decades, Cugat helped popularize genres such as the tango, the chachachá, the mambo and the rumba. His biggest hits were "El manicero", "Perfidia" and the original version of "Babalu".

Cugat was born on January 1, 1900 in Geneva , Spain, and moved to Cuba with his family when he was 5 years of age. His training as a classical violinist allowed him to play in Havana’s National Theatre Orchestra when he was 12. He went to the U.S. sometime between 1915 and 1918, where he soon found work accompanying an opera singer. After a short time as a comic strip artist for the Los Angeles Times, he returned to music in 1920 leading his own band, The Latin American Band, with which he moved to New York to become the Waldorf Astoria Hotel’s band, a position he would keep for over 16 years. To those who criticized him for his commercial style, Cugat would answer "I prefer playing `Chiquita Banana` and having my own swimming pool rather than playing Bach and starving".

Despite the fact that his true passion was movies, Cugat continued playing until his retirement in 1970, when he returned to Spain, where he died on October 27, 1990. His band, directed by Tito Puente after his retirement, currently continues working under the direction of dancer, musician and singer Ada Cavallo.

« Back