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Candido Camero (Tom Pich)

Candido Camero

So well known and respected, his first name alone -- Candido -- is all that is necessary for jazz aficionados to know who he is. Credited with being the first percussionist to bring conga drumming to jazz, Candido Camero is also known for his contributions to the development of mambo and Afro-Cuban jazz. Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1921, Camero first began making music as a young child, beating rhythms on empty condensed milk cans in place of bongos. He worked for six years with the CMQ Radio Orchestra and at the famed Cabaret Tropicana. He came to the United States in 1946 with the dance team Carmen and Rolando, and very soon after was playing with Billy Taylor, who wrote in 1954, "I have not heard anyone who even approaches the wonderful balance between jazz and Cuban elements that Candido demonstrates.

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Watch Past Performances

“Latin Jazz and the Apollo Theater” 8/8/10: “Latin Jazz and the Apollo Theater”

Latin jazz trombonist and historian Christopher Washburne plays with renowned percussionist and Apollo Theater house band member Candido Camero. Sponsored by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in association with its exhibition, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment.”

“Latin Jazz and the Apollo Theater”

Latin jazz trombonist and historian Christopher Washburne plays with renowned percussionist and Apollo Theater house band member Candido Camero. Sponsored by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in association with its exhibition, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment.”

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