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Hispanic-Americans -
Television's first Hispanic superstar was Cuban born Desi Arnaz, the costar
of the early sitcom I LOVE LUCY/CBS/1951-61. Born Desi Alberto Arnaz y de
Acha III in Santiago, Cuba on March 2, 1917, Desi began as a vocalist with a
band at the age of 17 and later had his own Rhumba band.
Ttraveling to America, Desi performed on Broadway in "Too
Many Girls" and made his screen debut in its movie spin-off Too Many
Girls (1940). His film credits included Father Takes a Bride
(1941), Four Jacks and a Jill (1942), Bataan (1943),
Holiday in Havana (1949), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), and
Forever Darling (1956).
On his popular 1950s TV program I LOVE LUCY, Desi played
Ricky Ricardo, a hot-tempered Cuban bandleader, who performed at The
Tropicana Club in Manhattan.
Another popular Latino performer was Xavier Cugat who
starred in a twice-weekly, fifteen minute musical series THE XAVIER CUGAT
SHOW/NBC/1957 and appeared on the musical programs THE VOICE OF
FIRESTONE/NBC/ABC/1949-1963 and AMERICA'S GREATEST BANDS/CBS/1955. Desi
Arnaz formerly worked with the Xavier Cugat orchestra soon after he
emigrated to Miami from Cuba in 1933.
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