Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill, Jazz Musician
Grammy nominated jazz musician, composer, and band leader Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill was born on October 28, 1921 in Havana, Cuba. His mother was Cuban and his father was Irish. O’Farrill was one of the early influencers of American bebop and swing, as he introduced Latin rhythm to the jazz scene of the late 1940s through the 1960s. His groundbreaking works were the “Afro-Cuban Suite,” “Aztec Suite,” and “Cuban Dances”. Later in the 1990s, he lived in Los Angeles, and worked with musicians David Bowie and Wynton Marsalis. O’Farrill continued his love of composing and creating music, releasing his final album, Carambola, the year before his death in 2001.
Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill, músico de jazz, compositor y líder de banda nominado al Grammy, nació el 28 de octubre de 1921 en La Habana, Cuba. Su madre era cubana y su padre irlandés. O’Farrill fue uno de los primeros influyentes del bebop y el swing estadounidenses, ya que introdujo el ritmo latino en la escena del jazz desde finales de la década de 1940 hasta la de 1960. Sus obras pioneras fueron la “Suite afrocubana”, “Suite azteca” y “Danzas cubanas”. Más tarde, en la década de 1990, vivió en Los Ángeles y trabajó con los músicos David Bowie y Wynton Marsalis. O’Farrill continuó su amor de componer y crear música, lanzando su último álbum, Carambola, el año antes de su muerte en 2001.
