Compiled here are 28 of Xavier Cugat's greatest hits, recorded during his finest years in New York, 1945 to 1962. Collectors' deluxe digipak series with 6-page booklet and up-to-date liner notes.
Xavier Cugat was a popular Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music for over four decades (1925-1970). Later moving to New York, he became the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf-Astoria before and after World War II, where he gained perennial fame and became known as the "Rumba King".
1. Amapola
2. Siboney
3. Perfidia
4. Miami Beach Rhumba
5. Malaguena
6. Begin the Beguine
7. Yours (Quiereme Mucho)
8. Green Eyes
9. What a Diff'rence a Day Made
10. Mama Inez
11. Tea For Two
12. El Cumbanchero
13. Besame Mucho
14. Sway
15. Tequila
16. Frenesi
17. Maria Elena
18. Jungle Concerto
19. Brazil
20. Mambo At the Waldorf
21. Say "Si Si"
22. The Third Man Theme
23. Penthouse Mambo
24. Misirlou
25. Taboo
26. Suavecito
27. Nightingale
28. Love is a Many Splendored Thing