Machito, as bandleader, singer, and maraca player, was a key figure for Latin music in the United States.
Machito and His Afro-Cubans
was one of the premiere dance orchestras of the 1940s, setting the stage for
Latin jazz
and a lively big band scene. Machito's mambo style, especially the brass-section work, was thought to be jazz's first major influence on Latin music. The so-called Mambo King's
collaboration with both Latin and non-Latin artists changed the direction of...