"Cuban Pete", Mambo Legend Pedro Aguilar dead

He died yesterday morning. More about it in swedish at http://salsablog.vox.com/library/post/cuban-pete-en-mambolegend-d%C3%B6d.html .


If anyone has more clips of these great dancers, please upload!

June 14, 1927 January 13, 2009

Pedro Cuban Pete Aguilar, 81, passed away on January 13, 2009, in Miami, FL.

Cuban Pete grew up in New Yorks El Barrio and made his mark in the Latin dance world at the dawn of the Mambo craze, in New Yorks famous Palladium Ballroom, and from there vaulted to international prominence. Known as the King of the Latin Beat, Mr. Mambo, and the Prince of the Palladium, he invented scores of dance movements and hand embellishments now viewed as standards of Latin dance. He served as a catalyst for social change in the entertainment and social arenas by being the first man with a tan to dance with a white woman onstage; in 1951 he danced with Millie Donay at the Palladium, ushering in one of the first instances of integration on the dance floor.

In his multi-decade career, he performed in movies, television, stage, and danced for American Presidents, heads of state and dignitaries, as well as serve as choreographer and consultant for the film, Mambo Kings. He adjudicated at many prestigious dance events worldwide, and was a skilled lecturer on the history of Latin dance and music.

With Barbara Craddock, he helped make history in the preservation of clave, by serving as choreographic consultant and instructor for Miami City Ballets unprecedented work, Mambo No. 2 a.m., and was choreographer for Latin Magic, an original mambo ballet for the University of the Arts School of Dance in Philadelphia.

The recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to Latin dance, he was referred to as the greatest mambo dancer ever by LIFE Magazine, Tito Puente and George Goldner of TICO Records. He is archived in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC and RAICES Latin Music Museum in New York.

He is survived by his children, daughters Denise Gerard and Petrina Aguilar, son Sean Peter Aguilar, granddaughter Gina Gerard, grandson Noah Aguilar, sisters Socorro Blackman, Chickie Masdeu, Yvette Masdeu, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dance partner, Barbara Craddock. He is predeceased by his brothers Tony Aguilar and Pedro Aguilar, Jr., and his mother, Nellie Trujillo Masdeu.

http://salsaistockholm.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• cuban
• pete
• pedro
• aguilar
• mambo
• palladium
• salsa

[CFITOMAHAWK2]

The Back and Forth kind of dance called 'Mambo' (not the side to side) was done by joking (or DRUNK) Americans in 1940's due they knew Charleston Dances . Its a modified Charleston "Two Step" Dance applied to "Guaguanco' songs by "drunks". The 'Mambo' name is cause with that back and forth way of dancing they looked like African Mambas (or Cobras in India language). Cubans Dancing side to side (SAMBA STYLE) used to joke at Drunk Americans dancing Charleston to it and called them "Los Mambos".

[Salsa3914]

@CFITOMAHAWK2 Never heard that version of the story behind the word "Mambo". Any source?

[fuzmiq]

RIP Cuban Pete.

[Mrsupole]

A Tribute to a Great Dancer...a very good dancer and I could never be a fraction of as good a dancer...actually can't dance at all...so always lucky to watch and enjoy anyone who can dance so well...he is a "Master"...so God Bless Cuban Pete...and my condolences to his family and friends.

[TheDoctorGrenade]

puerto rican dance legend...cuban pete?

[casinoparatodos]

Esto es solo una version ridicula de la manera de bailar del cubano, dan risa.

[CFITOMAHAWK2]

That is why he is like imitating a drunk guy from 0:5 to 0:10. You heard a made up version to deny Americans. I heard other versions that make no sense too. Mambas are African snakes that are like Cobras, they move back and forth, not side to side. Voodoo Sorcerers moved back and forth too imitating a Mamba Snake and were called Mambas in Africa and Cuba but they didn't do the organized steps that "Los Mambos" created and we still use in Salsa. That is what a Master Instructor showed to me.

[kat277]

@CFITOMAHAWK2 The 'mambo' name actually comes from the African, and it means 'conversation with the voodoo gods', nothing to do with snakes!

[CFITOMAHAWK2]

@Salsa3914 I learned that from a big Dancing Academy Instructor in New Jersey, he demo it to me and show me articles from the 1940's. I didn't believe it at beginning too but after we did that Charleston step then changed to Mambo Step I saw how similar they are. No one does Charleston any more at all in USA, but Salsa with the Mambo step YES, AND A LOT.

[alafia24]

@CFITOMAHAWK2 now that is interesting and thank you so much for sharing that information. I think both styles are bad-ass.

[bebop54]

dayum right !!!!! @CFITOMAHAWK2