Mingo Lewis
James "Mingo" Lewis was an American percussionist and drummer who played with Santana, Al Di Meola, Return to Forever, and The Tubes.
Playing
Lewis played congas, bongos, timbales, vibraslap, drums, bells, güiro, gong, Syndrum, bata, tambourine, cowbell, and assorted percussion.Writing
Lewis is credited with composition of one song on four of the first five Di Meola albums: "The Wizard" on Land of the Midnight Sun, "Flight Over Rio" on Elegant Gypsy, and "Chasin' The Voodoo" on Casino. For The Tubes album Now Lewis wrote "God-Bird-Change", which he reprised on Di Meola's Electric Rendezvous.Death
Lewis died in January 2026, at the age of 72.Selected discography
As Band Leader
- ''Flight Never Ending''
As session player
- Santana - Caravanserai
- Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!
- Return To Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin - Love Devotion Surrender
- Billy Joel - Turnstiles
- Todd Rundgren - Nearly Human
- XTC - ''Skylarking''
With Al Di Meola
- Land of the Midnight Sun
- Elegant Gypsy
- Casino
- Splendido Hotel
- ''Electric Rendezvous''
With The Tubes
- Now
- What Do You Want from Live
- Remote Control
- ''T.R.A.S.H. ''