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. Mario Bauzá encouraged the addition of American soloists on their recordings and for the next decade, releases by the Afro-Cubans included appearances by jazz greats such as Harry "Sweets" Edison, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann, Curtis Fuller and Johnny Griffin. Dizzy Gillespie, one of their most ardent supporters, collaborated with the Afro-Cubans for many years. The group released over 30 singles and EPs plus a series of albums - several featuring Cuban vocalist Miguelito Valdez - including Afro Cuban Music (1947), Fiesta Time (1953), With Flute to Boot (1959), and Machito Y Sus Afro Cubans (1964). The band continued for several decades - even after the departure of Mario Bauzá in 1976 - although they recorded infrequently. Machito died on April 15, 1984, at the age of 74. Mario Bauzá died on July 11, 1993.
