Ray Mantilla

Inspired by his South Bronx Afro-Cuban roots, percussionist Ray Mantilla rose to prominence in the late '70s after spending the previous decade in bands led by Herbie Mann, Charles Mingus, Joe Farrell, and Gato Barbieri, to mention a scant few. In 1977 Mantilla was selected by Dizzy Gillespie to accompany him to Cuba as the first U.S. band to visit the island since the travel embargo of 1962. Mantilla issued his self-titled leader debut for Inner City in 1978. In the mid-'80s he formed the Ray Mantilla Space Station. The band issued three acclaimed albums; the last of which, D...