Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo Number 5, a deep voice introduces the late ’90s hit against a growing rhythm. “Mambo No. 5” arrived in 1999, ushering in the new millennium with its buoyant Latin pop beat.
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German-born artist Lou Bega was the man behind the tune, having sampled Cuban artist Dámaso Pérez Prado’s 1949 instrumental mambo of the same name and giving it catchy, albeit womanizing, lyrics and a hearty beat. It became a smash hit around the globe, peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Hot 100, but breaking chart records internationally.
“Mambo No. 5” would be his biggest success and his only Top 40 hit in the United States. Remembering the contagious bop sure makes one wonder, “Where is Lou Bega now?”
Lou Bega Then
“Mambo No. 5” catapulted a young Bega—born David Lubega Balemezi—into the spotlight. Released as the first single from his 1999 debut album, A Little Bit of Mambo, the song skyrocketed up the charts and became one of the biggest pop hits of the year.
The album as a whole saw a healthy performance, scraping into the Top 10 of several international album charts. The three other singles released from the debut—”I Got a Girl,” “Tricky, Tricky,” and “Mambo Mambo”—saw some chart action, as well.
He released a follow-up album, titled Ladies and Gentlemen, in 2001, but the release failed to see his debut’s success. His third, fourth, and fifth studio albums, released throughout the early 2000s and into the 2010s, also lacked his early star power.
Lou Bega Now
Bega has yet to follow up “Mambo No. 5” with another smash hit, however, he continues to make music to this day.
His most recent release came in 2019, two decades after he dropped his signature song. He shared the single, “Scatman & Hatman,” a tune that samples vocals from the 1994 song “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” by the late jazz icon Scatman John.
Bega still plays “Mambo No. 5” to adoring audiences everywhere. Watch him perform the tune alongside acclaimed conductor André Rieu and his symphony orchestra.
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/ImageDirect
