Mambo developed from the Cuban dance Danzon, and was heavily influenced by Cuban Haitians and American Jazz in the 1940s. Characterized by strong Cuban Motion, Mambo is fast and spicy, with staccato movement and expression of rhythm throughout the body. Mambo is danced in 4/4 time, Mambo music features a break on two. The dance is colored with many swivels and spins.
Mambo developed from the Cuban dance Danzon, and was heavily influenced by Cuban Haitians and American Jazz. Musician Perez Prado introduced Mambo at a Havana nightclub in 1943. The music included a syncopated less rigid form of danzon, where dancers could more freely express; this became known as Mambo. Other musicians, Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, and Xavier Cugat are credited with expanding the music and dance popularity.
Characterized by strong Cuban Motion, Mambo is fast and spicy, with staccato movement and expression of rhythm throughout the body. Mambo is danced in 4/4 time, Mambo music features a break on two. The dance is colored with many swivels and spins.
Around 1947, Mambo arrived in New York, quickly becoming all the rage. Mambo was taught at dance schools, resorts, and nightclubs, reaching its height of popularity by the mid-1950s. The torch was soon passed to Cha Cha as it developed out of Mambo, but Mambo has seen a resurgence due to well known dancer Eddie Torres and popular Mambo songs and movies. Mambo is included among the American Style dances.
