Cándido Camero Guerra, known simply as Cándido, was a pioneering Cuban conga and bongo player born on April 22, 1921, in Havana, Cuba. He passed away at the age of 99 on November 7, 2020, in New York City, U.S. Cándido is celebrated as a trailblazer in Afro-Cuban jazz and an innovator in conga drumming, credited with introducing the tuneable conga drum and developing techniques for playing multiple congas simultaneously. His musical journey began at the age of four when his uncle taught him to play bongos using homemade instruments crafted from condensed milk cans.

Cándido's early career in Havana included performances with the Tropicana Cabaret Orchestra and collaborations with notable musicians such as Chano Pozo and Bebo Valdés. In 1946, he moved to New York City, where he initially performed with the dance couple Carmen and Rolando. His introduction to Dizzy Gillespie by Machito marked a significant turning point in his career, eventually leading to performances with Gillespie's band after Chano Pozo's death.

Cándido's innovative approach to percussion included the creation of a multiple percussion set-up, combining congas, bongos, and other instruments like the foot-operated cowbell. He recorded several albums as a leader and achieved notable success with his disco recordings for Salsoul in 1979. Throughout his career, Cándido collaborated with prominent artists such as Billy Taylor and Stan Kenton and continued to perform and record into the late 2010s. His contributions to music earned him a Grammy nomination for his work with Graciela on the album "Inolvidable." Cándido's legacy as the "father of modern conga drumming" endures, marking him as a significant figure in the integration of Afro-Cuban sound into American jazz.