Cuban Percussionist F. Aguabella Dies at 84

HAVANA TIMES, May 9 — Latin rhythms percussionist Francisco Aguabella died Friday at the age of 84 in Los Angeles, California after battling cancer.

Aguabella’s manager Orna Rachovitsky told AP that the percussionist —who shared the stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon the Doors and many others— had been scheduled to perform on Saturday night in Fullerton, California “but the show was shifted to an Aguabella tribute.”

“Aguabella emigrated from Cuba to the United States in the 1950s and got his break performing with legendary dancer Katherine Dunham in the movie Mambo,” informed AP.

Born in the Cuban province of Matanzas, Aguabella began playing the hourglass shaped bata drum at the age of 12, noted the L.A. Times in its extensive article on the musician.