Graciela Pérez Gutiérrez, the younger sister of legendary bandleader Machito, was a groundbreaking Cuban singer celebrated as the “First Lady of Latin Jazz.” After performing with the all-female Orquesta Anacaona in Cuba, she joined Machito and His Afro-Cubans in New York in 1943. Her commanding voice, rhythmic phrasing, and vibrant stage presence helped define the sound of Afro-Cuban jazz and opened doors for generations of women in Latin music. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture