Machito (February 16, 1912* – April 15, 1984) was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music. He was raised in Havana with the singer Graciela, his foster sister.
After he married Luz Maria Pelegrin,in 1928 he became known as “Machito” and became a professional musician. He played the maracas and sang with some of Cuba’s most popular dance orchestras including Ignacio Piñeiro’s Septeto Nacional, María Teresa Vera’s Sexteto Occidente, and El Sexteto Agabama. Machito and other black musicians experienced racism while performing at Cuban clubs, including being forced to use back entrances to performance venues and maintain limited interactions with the club clientele.
After an earlier aborted attempt to launch a band with Bauza, Machito founded the Afro-Cubans in 1940, taking on Bauza the following year as music director where he remained for 35 years. After making some early 78s for Decca, the Afro-Cubans really began to catch on after the end of World War II, appearing with -- and no doubt influencing -- Stan Kenton's orchestra (Machito played maracas on Kenton's recordings of "The Peanut Vendor" and "Cuban Carnival") and recording some exciting sides for Mercury and Clef.
In 1943, Machito and Bauzá wove their Cuban music with the big band sounds of the New York jazz scene and recorded “Tanga,” which is considered the first Afro-Cuban jazz recording. Under the direction of Bauzá, Machito and his Afro-Cubans created their trademark sounds by combining Cuban mambo and other Latin styles with swing and big band music. The band’s name also served as a public acknowledgement of the members’ African heritage and their infusion of African musical influences.
Machito and his Afro-Cubans headlined at the Palladium Ballroom and consistently recorded from the 1940s through the 1980s, many with Graciela as singer. Their popularity soared in the 1950s mambo phase. In 1975 Machito changed to a smaller ensemble format in 1975, touring Japan, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.
In 1983, Machito & His Salsa Big Band '82 won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording. In 1984 Machito travelled to London for a show at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club but suffered a stroke and collapsed while waiting to go on stage. He died four days later on April 19, 1984, at University College Hospital in London. His son Mario carried forward the legacy by leading The Machito Orchestra after his father's death and his. His daughter Paula, though dedicating her life to scholarly studies, occasionally fronted the group as its singer. A documentary film by Carlo Ortiz, Machito: A Latin Jazz Legacy, was released in 1987.
Machito popularized Cuban musical culture throughout the United States and the world. He helped infuse Latin music into mainstream American music, making a name for himself as the father of Latin jazz and influencing generations of musicians that followed. His music had an effect on the careers of many musicians who played in the Afro-Cubans over the years, and on those who were attracted to Latin jazz after hearing him. George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Stan Kenton credited Machito as an influence. An intersection in East Harlem is named "Machito Square" in his honour. In 2005, Machito's 1957 album, Kenya, was added to the book: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
(Edited from Smithsonian Institution, Wikipedia & AllMusic)
* Machito gave conflicting accounts of his birth. He sometimes said he was a native Cuban from Havana. Other accounts place his birth in Tampa, Florida, making him an American of Cuban ancestry. He may have been born in 1908 in the Jesús María district of Havana or in Tampa, 1909 in the Marianao Beach district of Havana or in Tampa, 1912 in Tampa or Havana, or even 1915 in Havana.