Beginnings as a musician In New York, Rodríguez was hired as a singer and
bongó player for the orchestra of
Eric Madriguera. In 1941, he recorded "
Amor Guajiro", "
Acércate Más" (Come Closer) and "
Se Fue la Comparsa". In 1942, Rodríguez joined the band of
Xavier Cugat, and recorded "Bim, bam, bum" and "Ensalada de congas" (Conga Salad). Rodríguez joined and served in the
U.S. Army for one year. After he was discharged, he returned to New York where he joined the orchestra of
José Curbelo. On one occasion, the band performed at the China Doll Cabaret. There he met a young Japanese chorus girl by the name of Tobi Kei (b. Takeko Kunimatsu), who eventually became his wife. For example, Rodríguez's version of "Avísale a mi contrario" has been often cited as an example of this "feud",
United Artists years Rodríguez tried his luck with
boleros and recorded various albums for the United Artists label, spawning various hit songs such as "
Inolvidable", composed by
Julio Gutiérrez, and "En la soledad", composed by
Puchi Balseiro. "Inolvidable" sold over a million and a half copies world-wide in 1963. In his early 1960s orchestra his group included Cuban dancer Martha Correa, who also played the maracas. In this period he also collaborated with mainstream American jazz artists. Notably, he invited jazz players
Bob Brookmeyer,
Al Cohn,
Zoot Sims and
Clark Terry to appear with him in performances at New York City's famed
Birdland nightclub. Highlights of the performances were captured on the album,
Live at Birdland (1963). He also produced records for other groups, such as
Los Hispanos and Los Montemar. ==Later years==