Xavier Cugat
Biography
Xavier Cugat was a Catalan musician and bandleader born in Girona, Spain on January 1, 1900, who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. He led the resident orchestra at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel from 1933 to 1949 and appeared in numerous motion pictures in the 1930s and 1940s, earning him the nickname "Rumba King." A skilled violinist and arranger, he popularized Latin music in the US.