He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served for four years in the South Pacific during World War II.

Cadena became a producer and A&R scout from 1954 to 1959 after his first sessions, in which he recorded trombonists J. J. Johnson and Kai Winding in the first album of a lengthy collaboration; Cadena had first spoken to Johnson about a duo with Bennie Green which led to a duo after all, but with Winding as his partner.

His recordings at Savoy included work of artists Cannonball Adderley, Shirley Caesar, John Lee Hooker, Milt Jackson, Yusef Lateef, Charles Mingus, Esther Phillips, Jimmy Scott and Marion Williams.

[5] At Prestige he was responsible for overseeing the production and release of soul jazz and other records by artists including Red Holloway, Jack McDuff and Shirley Scott.

His son, Dez Cadena, is a singer and guitarist who performed with the hardcore punk band Black Flag and later played guitar with the Misfits.