Xavier Cugat

External audio
External audio
	You may listen to Xavier Cugat conducting his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra performing Consuelo Velázquez's rhumba Bésame Mucho in 1945 Listen on archive.org

Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat
Born	Francisco de Asís Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y Deulofeu; 1 January 1900; Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Died	27 October 1990 (aged 90); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Occupations	Musician; singer; actor; director; screenwriter; bandleader;
Years active	1925–1970
Spouses	; Rita Montaner (m. 1918; div. 1920) ; Carmen Castillo (m. 1929; div. 1946) ; Lorraine Allen (m. 1947; div. 1952) ; Abbe Lane (m. 1952; div. 1963) ; Charo (m. 1966; div. 1978)
Relatives	Francis Cugat (brother)
Website	xaviercugat.com

Xavier Cugat (Catalan: [ʃəβiˈe kuˈɣat]; 1 January 1900^[1] – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City, he was the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf–Astoria before and after World War II. He was also a cartoonist and a restaurateur. The personal papers of Xavier Cugat are preserved in the Biblioteca de Catalunya.

^ ^a ^b NOTE: Some sources ([1], [2]) indicate 1901 as his year of birth; however, the majority of references, including his tombstone and various United States censuses, all clearly support 1900 as the correct year of birth.

[yob-1] NOTE: Some sources ([1], [2]) indicate 1901 as his year of birth; however, the majority of references, including his tombstone and various United States censuses, all clearly support 1900 as the correct year of birth.

[1]