Arturo Sandoval

Hits the Movies
by
Howard Lucraft

Arturo learned his jazz listening to Willis Connover's Voice of America broadcasts.

Dizzy is his great influence. When Dizzy came to Havana he asked to be taken to where percussionist Chano Pozo (who was killed in 1948) originally lived. The government officials were nonplussed so Arturo, in his very old car, took Dizzy along.

That night Gillespie went to hear Arturo's group, Irakere. Greatly impressed with Sandoval’s playing he took him on a European tour...