Armando Peraza

Armando Peraza earned widespread recognition as one of popular music’s foremost percussionists, renowned for his mastery of both the conga and bongos. He maintained a long-standing role in Santana while also appearing as a guest on countless sessions by other leading acts. Born in Havana, Cuba, on May 30, 1924, he became orphaned at a young age; by twelve he was living independently and earned income through jobs that included vegetable vending, semi-professional baseball, boxing training, and loan sharking. Music entered his life only at seventeen. While at a baseball park, he overheard bandleader Alberto Ruiz—brother of one of his teammates—desperately seeking a conga player for a Conjunto Kubavana engagement that same evening. Though Peraza possessed no prior musical background, he persuaded Ruiz to let him try; after just a few hours of rehearsal, he delivered a standout performance. Once he moved to the United States, first settling in New York City and later San Francisco, demand for his skills surged. Over the ensuing years he collaborated with acclaimed figures such as Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Eartha Kitt, Wes Montgomery, Peggy Lee, John McLaughlin, and Harvey Mandel. His most celebrated association, however, remained with Santana, for whom he performed on nearly every album issued from the early 1970s into the late 1980s.