Dámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, pianist and composer who popularized the mambo in the 1950s. He frequently made brief appearances in films. The success of his orchestra and hits such as "Mambo No. 5" earned him the nickname "King of the Mambo". His popularity in the United States matched the peak of the first wave of interest in Latin music outside the Hispanic and Latino communities during the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. Although he did not create the genre he has been recognized a