Afro-Cubans

The Afro-Cubans were a Latin jazz band founded by Machito in 1940; often billed as Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Their musical director, and an important musical innovator, was Mario Bauzá, Machito's brother-in-law.

The Afro-Cubans combined Cuban music with orchestrations derived from swing. As well, the Afro-Cubans played with and incorporated the music of many important figures in contemporary jazz, including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Flip Phillips, and Buddy Rich; but the association went both ways, as the Latin rhythms of the Afro-Cubans strongly influenced the jazz scene in New York.

After making some early 78s for Decca, the Afro-Cubans began to increase in popularity towards 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 recorded for Mercury and Clef. On Bauzá's urging, Machito's band featured a galaxy of American jazz soloists on its recordings from 1948 to 1960, including Charlie Parker (heard memorably on "No Noise"), Dizzy Gillespie, Flip Phillips, Howard McGhee, Buddy Rich, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann, Curtis Fuller and Johnny Griffin. Playing regularly at New York's Palladium, Machito's band reached its peak of popularity during the mambo craze of the 1950s, survived the upheavals of the '60s and despite the loss of Bauzá in 1976, continued to work frequently in the '60s, '70s, and early '80s when the term "salsa" came into use. The band recorded for Pablo (in tandem with Gillespie) and Timeless in its later years.


Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

Notes: Sometimes listed as Machito y sus Afro-Cubans.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-44 of 44 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 71204 10-in. 7/27/1942 Sensemaya Miguelito Valdés Musical group  
Decca 71205 10-in. 7/27/1942 Oye negra Miguelito Valdés Musical group  
Decca 71206 10-in. 7/27/1942 Nague Miguelito Valdés Musical group  
Decca 81473 9/4/1951 Walter Winchell rhumba Miguelito Valdés y su Conjunto Musical group  
Decca 81474 9/4/1951 La negra leono Miguelito Valdés y su Conjunto Musical group  
Decca 81475 9/4/1951 Escucha mi son Miguelito Valdés y su Conjunto Musical group  
Decca 81476 9/4/1951 Babalu Miguelito Valdés y su Conjunto Musical group  
Decca 105841 10/17/1958 Guaglione Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105842 10/17/1958 Cocktails for two Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105843 10/17/1958 The Continental Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105844 10/17/1958 Patricia Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105845 10/23/1958 Ecstasy Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105846 10/23/1958 Me lo dijo Adela Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105847 10/23/1958 Torero Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105848 10/23/1958 Cha cha cha loco Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105849 10/27/1958 Mambo la concord Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105850 10/27/1958 El aji Caribe Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105851 10/27/1958 Cotillion mambo Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
Decca 105852 10/27/1958 Rico vacilon Afro-Cubans ; Machito Musical group  
(Results 26-44 of 44 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Afro-Cubans," accessed June 4, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/328825.

Afro-Cubans. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 4, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/328825.

"Afro-Cubans." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 4 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/328825

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