Candido Camero

Candido Camero
At a concert in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Candido de Guerra Camero
Born	(1921-04-22) April 22, 1921 (age 95) Cuba
Genres	Jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, disco
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Conga, bongo, percussion
Labels	ABC-Paramount, Blue Note, Roulette, Polydor, Salsoul, Chesky
Associated acts	Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Kelly

Cándido de Guerra Camero, also known simply as Candido (born April 22, 1921) is a Cuban-born percussionist (mainly conga and bongo) and the most recorded conga drummer in the history of jazz. He also plays the tres (Cuban mandolin), drums, and acoustic bass. He has worked in many genres of popular music from pop, rock, R&B and disco to Afro-Cuban dance music and Latin jazz. He is the first player to develop techniques to play multiple conga drums, coordinated independence and the use of multiple percussion, one player playing a variety of percussion instruments simultaneously.

Early in his career, Camero recorded in his native Cuba with many of the early pioneers of the son movement as well as being the conga drummer for the Tropicana night club in Havana for eight years. He first appeared in NYC in the musical review, Tidbits, at the Plymouth Theater on Broadway in 1946 backing up the Cuban dance team of Carmen and Rolando. In 1948 he made his first U.S. recording with Machito and His Afro-Cubans on the tune, "El Rey Del Mambo." as well as working with Dizzy Gillespie. During 1953–54, he was in the Billy Taylor Trio and in 1954 he performed and recorded with Stan Kenton.

He also enjoyed success during the disco era of the 1970s, most notably with the Babatunde Olatunji-penned track "Jingo" from his Dancin' and Prancin' album, which he recorded for Salsoul Records in 1979. The album has also been acknowledged as an influence and precursor to house music, predating the emergence of the genre by over five years.

Camero was honored with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2008.

With Gene Ammons

With Dizzy Gillespie