305 La Conga

Chapter 5 has us going back in time to share Desi Arnaz’ road to Hollywood;  which, if you don’t know, is more than a little surprising.  And scary.  And sad.  And then more than a little hopeful as “picking oneself up by the bootstraps” is an understatement.  From growing up in Cuba, surviving the 1933 Revolution, playing in rumba bands including with Xavier Cugat, drinking Bacardi rum with Bing Crosby, introducing the conga to Miami and New York, rubbing elbows with debutantes and Al Capone, to playing THE Latin footballer in Rodgers’ and Hart’s ‘Too Many Girls,’ that Broadway hit becoming an RKO movie, Desi Arnaz proves his precursors to ‘I Love Lucy’ are also well worth chatting about.  Please chime in here and/or on Instagram @fromoutofthepastpodcast with your questions & comments, or just sharing your love of Lucille Ball and her road to ‘I Love Lucy!’  Thanks for listening ...