Henri Guedon, born May 22, 1944 in Fort de France-Martinique, France – died February 12, 2006 in Paris after a heart attack) was a Martiniquan drummer. La Contesta was his first band, which he organized when he was twenty-one. The first year of the awards, he was presented with a Maracas d’or. Philippe Langlais invited him in 1983 to create a blend of jazz and classical music with his orchestra. The result was Opera Triangulaire. He was a 1963-65 judo champion. Numerous albums incorporated Antillean rhythms and other music from all over the globe. Guedon played a key role in the export of the 60s and 70s Latin sound -guaguanco boogaloo salsa descarga to France and other European countries. French audiences were shocked and intrigued when Guedon started placing his percussion instruments in front of the stage, in the manner of Ray Barretto. Soon, El Conde and Pacheco were on tour in France. Europe could have taken many years to progress from cha-cha cha to mambo if it weren’t for Henri Guedon. Wikipedia
