Germán Villarreal is a Colombian percussionist, producer, and bandleader from Pasto (Nariño) who built his reputation in salsa through big-band arrangements and a repertoire focused on classic mambo-era and pachanga material. By the mid-2000s he was leading his own Bogotá-based ensemble Mambo Big Band, a large-format group commonly credited as a 16–18-piece lineup, conceived as a modern take on the 1950s “mambero” sound associated with figures like Tito Puente, Machito, and Tito Rodríguez. His recording catalog with the band was anchored by the album Con Permiso de Mis Mayores (2007), a set of classic-driven performances including titles like “Ran Kan Kan,” “Me Gusta Boogaloo,” and “Cuando Te Vea,” followed by the second album Permiso Concedido (2009), which continued the concept in a ten-track format. Outside Mambo Big Band, Villarreal was also documented as directing additional projects such as Sonorísima (focused on classic Sonora Matancera-era repertory) and Tropicalia (a trombone-led salsa format built around artists like Willie Colón and classic salsa ensembles). In the 2020s, he kept releasing under his own name, including the single “Jaquetón Pachanguero” (2025) credited with Mambo Big Band.