Cuba son cubano 1940s

Desi Arnaz

Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-American bandleader, singer, actor and television producer. He became one of the best-known Cuban musicians in the United States, and played bandleader Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy.

Origins

Born in Santiago de Cuba in 1917, he fled with his family to Miami after the Cuban Revolution of 1933. He sang and played guitar with Xavier Cugat's orchestra around 1936, then formed his own band in 1937 and helped make the conga line a dance craze in the US.

The sound

His music drew on Cuban son, rumba and conga rhythms, arranged for a big-band orchestra with a strong percussion section. He sang in Spanish and English, often with the drum-led, chant-like style that made "Babalú" his trademark.

Legacy

He starred on Broadway in Too Many Girls (1939) and co-founded Desilu Productions with Lucille Ball in 1950. I Love Lucy (1951–1957) brought Cuban music to millions of American homes, and he has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.