Mambo

Mambo is a high-energy Cuban dance genre from the mid-20th century, blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with big band brass. Defined by syncopated clave patterns, montuno vamps, explosive horn sections, and driving percussion, it exploded globally via Pérez Prado's hits.

Origin: Cuba, specifically Havana's charanga and conjunto scenes, evolving from danzón and son.

Era: 1940s-1960s, peaking in the 1950s with a global dance craze led by Cuban innovators like Pérez Prado and New York Latin bands.