Machito

… with the establishment of the Machito and the Afro-Cubans orchestra, under the musical directorship of Cuban-born trumpeter Mario Bauzá. For many jazz critics, Bauzá’s tune “Tanga,” one of the Machito orchestra’s hits dating to the early 1940s, was the first true example of the music that is now known as…

…orchestra led by Cuban émigré Machito (Frank Grillo), which blended Afro-Cuban styles with jazz and big band approaches. Another Cuban émigré, Celia Cruz, became the reigning diva of Afro-Cuban dance music in the 1960s, as it evolved into salsa with smaller ensembles comprising rhythm and horn sections and through huge…