Born: 23 August 1915, Cuba
Died: 7 April 2010
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Graciela
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Felipa Graciela Pérez y Gutiérrez, known by the mononym Graciela, was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in the Afro-Cuban Jesús María neighborhood. She was a celebrated Cuban-American singer known for her enchanting performances in Cuban music and Latin jazz.
Graciela spent a decade during the 1930s and ’40s as the lead vocalist for Orquesta Anacaona, an all-female ensemble, before departing for the United States. Her performances spanned the globe, and she shared stages and recordings with her older adoptive brother, Frank Grillo (Machito), who inspired her singing journey. Together with Mario Bauzá, the pioneer of Afro-Cuban Jazz, they created music in the orchestra Machito and the Afro-Cubans.