Mario Bauza

Mario Bauza was an Afro-Cuban Jazz artist who helped popularize Cubop and Mambo into America's music scene. Born on April 28, 1911, he was talented at music from a young age, growing up as a child prodigy he played the flute. At 11 he was featured in the Havana Symphony. In 1926 while with the symphony Bauza traveled to Harlem where he played with the Santo Domingo Crusaders. Inspired by them and Harlem's black community he vowed to go back. Bauza was a co-founder of "Machito and his Afro-Cubans" and garnered major success with them in 1943.