José Curbelo was a Havana-born pianist and bandleader who arrived in New York in 1939 and quickly got to work helping define the city’s Latin dancefloor sound—first mambo, then the cha-cha wave that followed. By 1942, he had formed his own ensemble featuring a revolving cast of standouts like Tito Puente, Candido, and Tito Rodríguez. His real calling card, though, was his work for José Morand’s Fiesta Records, including this gem from his 1958 LP Wine, Women and Cha Cha: “Clap Hands and Cha Cha Cha.”
