Cubop Afro-Modernism: Mario Bauzá, Machito, Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo

Mario Bauzá learned jazz arrangement and harmonies during his work with the African-American swing musicians Cab Calloway and Chick Webb. He took those lessons to Machito and the Afro-Cubans. Mario Bauzá is the second trumpeter from the left.

More Machito: "Carambola"

Now in the 1970s, an elderly Machito and Graciela (his sister and  vocalist with the Afro-Cubans), with Bauzá grooving out behind, perform the santería-themed song "Changó 'tá vení."

The Machito group was popular among white audiences during the mambo craze of the 1950's, as in this redo of the Chick Webb swing tune "Stompin' at the Savoy" as "Mambo a la Savoy." They also had a fair number of sings that might be described as "exotic," like "Desert Dance / Cleopatra Rumba."

The Afro-Cubans were also popular among African-Americans, including the musicians who were revolutionizing swing music by transforming it into the more technically sophisticated and experimental be-bop. One of these musicians was the legendary African-American saxophonist Charlie Parker, here playing with Machito. (Jazzheads can check out an analysis by Steve Coleman here).

Another of the jazz revolutionaries was the brilliant ironic hipster Dizzy Gillespie.


Chano  Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie.

Music was not the only arena in which African and Afro-Caribbean artistic forms influenced modernist artists. It was central to the visual abstraction of Pablo Picasso at the beginning of the 20th century...

... and the modern dance of African-American choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham.

George Russell's pioneering composition "Cubano Be Cubano Bop" was premiered by Gillespie and Pozo in 1947.

Pozo's composition "Manteca."

A third CuBop pioneer was the white, West Coast bandleader Stan Kenton, who in 1947 recorded a cover of the Cuban classic song "The Peanut Vendor" which included three percussionists from Machito's band and Machito himself on maracas.