If the Afro-Cuban genre known as mambo owes its popularity to the late maestro Perez Prado, who took the genre from its native island and went on to become “The King of Mambo,” the credit for its creation belongs to 89-year-old bassist Israel “Cachao” Lopez, who created it in the late 1930s with his brother, Orestes.

The popular dance beat, however, was not his main goal early on: For more than 30 years, he held a job with the Cuban Symphony Orchestra as a classical musician. That position took him all over the world, and also gave him the opportunity to work with some of the greatest conductors of the time.

“I played in Havana from 1930 to 1960, and during that time I had the opportunity to work with all the great conductors that visited Cuba,” he explains. “The only one that I didn’t have the opportunity to work under was Toscanini; except for him, I played classical music with all of them: Karajan, for instance.”

During that time, he also dedicated himself to perform Cuban music and learn other instruments. “I began as a percussionist in 1926,” he recalls, and then went on to learn the upright bass, the piano and later the trés (a three-stringed instrument commonly used in Cuban folk music). “But I have dedicated myself to the bass, which I continue to play to this day.”

Cachao ultimately left Cuba in 1962 after Castro’s regime took control of the country. It was not an easy decision, for he still had a steady job with the orchestra. “I left with a job contract; I would not have done so if I didn’t have one,” he says. His first residence was in Spain, where he performed with maestro Ernesto Duarte. About a year and a half later, he came to New York, where he played at the legendary Palladium. In the late 1970s, he finally settled in Miami, where he lives to this day.

Watching Cachao on stage is nothing short of a thrill. Although there’s a stool behind him, he rarely relies on it, mostly playing the set on his feet. In between the Afro-Cuban tunes, he often inserts a classical music moment—so, even as he nears 90, he keeps everyone on their toes.

July 13-15, Blue Note, 131 W. 3rd St. (at 6th Ave.), 212-475-8592; 8:30 & 10:30, $45.