{"id":4371,"date":"2018-10-02T12:44:45","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T12:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/?p=4371"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:55:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:55:54","slug":"3-interesting-facts-about-xavier-cugat-celebrating-hispanic-heritage-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rsa.fau.edu\/blog\/events-general-interest\/3-interesting-facts-about-xavier-cugat-celebrating-hispanic-heritage-month\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Interesting Facts about Xavier Cugat! – Celebrating Hispanic \/ Latino Heritage Month"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo of Xavier Cugat. This work is from the William P. Gottlieb collection at the Library of Congress. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As part of Hispanic \/ Latino Heritage month, we’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some important artists who shaped the world of Latin music into what it is today. Today we would like to highlight Xavier Cugat. Born January 1, 1900 in Catalonia, Spain, his family had bigger plans venturing first to Cuba when he was five. In Cuba, this is where Xavier picked up the violin training as a classical violinist he went on to play with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Photo<\/a>
Photo of Xavier Cugat. This work is from the William P. Gottlieb collection at the Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Xavier trained further in Paris and Berlin and in 1915, his family boarded the SS Havana en route to New York City where Cugat went on to train before serving five years as a violinist appearing in recitals with Erinco Caruso. Cugat went on to lead the resident orchestra at the Waldorf-Astoria before and after World War II before venturing out west to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 3 interesting facts about Xavier Cugat, you may or may not know about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three interesting facts about Xavier Cugat!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. He was a classically trained violinist who conducted with his bow, and can be seen in quite a few films waving his violin bow. Below is an animated gif showcasing Xavier Cugat in Stage Door Canteen waving his bow as he conducts his orchestra. You can watch the clip<\/a><\/strong> below from Stage Door Canteen, 1943 where Xavier Cugat can be seen conducting with his bow at 1:16<\/strong><\/a>.