Machito & His Orchestra

Although only 5'4" in height, the diminutive Cuban singer Machito - born Francisco Raúl Guitérrez Grillo on December 3, 1909 in Tampa, Florida - was a towering influence within the Latin-jazz genre and is credited with introducing Afro-Cuban jazz and salsa to a wide international audience. He was the foster brother of renowned Cuban singer Graciela Gutiérrez; Macho (as he was known) began his own musical career in the late 1920s playing in a variety of bands until 1937, when he moved to New York. In 1940, Machito founded The Afro-Cubans - aka Machito & His Afro-Cubans - a highly respected ensemble of accomplished musicians who fused Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz to create a new kind of big band music. The group’s musical director was none other than Machito’s brother in law, Mario Bauzá. Fusing Cuban music with swing orchestration, part of the band’s repertoire incorporated the music of Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Flip Phillips, and Dizzy Gillespie. The Afro-Cubans recorded some sides for Decca in the early 1940s but came to prominence in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1947, the Afro-Cubans shared the stage with Stan Kenton’s band, which introduced a new style of music called Cubop. Capitalizing on this new musical craze, Machito began releasing records by both the Afro-Cubans and Machito & His Orchestra, although the core of both groups featured many of the same members. Their catalog included albums such as Cha Cha Cha at the Palladium (1956), Mi Amigo, Machito (1958), and the highly influential Kenya (1958). The group’s recorded output slowed down in the 1960s, although compilations continued to be released for decades. Machito died on April 15, 1984, at the age of 74. Mario Bauzá died on July 11, 1993.

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