music

In 1999, Lou Bega covered Pérez Prado’s “Mambo No. 5.” The original version of the song was released in 1949, but fifty years later, Bega’s cover version shot to number one on the charts. Listen to both versions of the song. What are the most important similarities and differences? Pay special attention to the timbres, instrumentation, and groove of both recordings. Which aspects of the 1999 cover were most instrumental in appealing to contemporary audiences?