Important Figures in Latin Music:

from REVELATIONS: Cubop to Hip-Hop Study Guide

Musical Terms

Cuban musician and composer who wrote many songs, including what is considered to be the first piece of Afro Latin Jazz, “Tanga”. He was also one of the musicians responsible for introducing Dizzy Gillespie to Afro Cuban music.

Dizzy Gillespie

John “Birks” Gillespie was an American trumpeter, composer and singer. One of the architects of BeBop, he, along with Bauzá and other musicians including Chano Pozo fused Afro Cuban music and jazz to form the genre we now call Afro Latin Jazz.

Machito

was a Latin jazz musician and pioneer of Afro Cuban Jazz, CuBop & Mambo. Was also one of the cofounders of The Afro-Cubans along with his friend and fellow Cuban, Mario Bauzá.

Tito Puente

A percussionist and bandleader who specialized in Mambo and Latin Jazz. Known as “El Rey del Timbal”

(The King of the Timbal), his performances and compositions had a lasting impact across all genres of music. His most famous song of all, “Oye Como Va”, was a mega-hit for Rock & Roll legend Carlos Santana.

Important Figures in Latin Music:

Rafael Cortijo & Ismael Rivera were a dynamic duo of Puerto Rican musicians who used the traditional styles from Puerto Rico of Bomba and Plena to create their own unique style.

Cuban percussionist and composer who was a leading figure in the Boogaloo movement of the 1960s. His cover of Herbie Hancock’s song “Watermelon Man” is considered to be a cross-over sensation, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cuban-American singer who not only known in Cuba as one of the best singers of Afro Cuban music, but would also be later affectionately known as the “Queen of Salsa”. One of the few old-school musicians to truly embrace the genre of Salsa.

Fania Record Label Artists

Fania Records was the leading record label in Salsa. Some of the most important figures in the genre recorded through this company: Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez and many more.