The Latin Recording Academy

 "It is with a heavy heart that The Latin Recording Academy® bids farewell to singer and The Latin Recording Academy's 2006 Lifetime Achievement recipient Graciela.

She was an exceptional vocalist whose sabor  in the dance numbers and her powerful expressiveness in the boleros was a key element in the success of the great Machito and his Afro-Cubans, the era-defining orchestra in Latin music led by her foster brother Frank “Machito” Grillo  and directed by her brother in law, Mario Bauzá.

She was born Graciela Pérez Gutiérrez in Havana, Cuba, and while still a teenager joined Anacaona, a fabled women’s orchestra. She emigrated to the United States in 1943, making her mark simply as Graciela.

Despite the vagaries in music fashion, she remained active, recording in every decade since, including, in 2004, the disc appropriately titled Inolvidable, with conguero Cándido Camero. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, her friends and all who were touched by her voice, her talent and her grace. She will never be forgotten."

Gabriel Abaroa

President

The Latin Recording Academy