Mario Bauzá (April 28, 1911 – July 11, 1993) was a
Afro-Cuban jazz musician. He was one of the first to introduce
Latin music to the United States by bringing Cuban musical styles to the New York City
jazz scene. While Cuban bands had popular jazz tunes in their repertoire for years, Bauzá's composition "Tangá" was the first piece to blend jazz with
clave, and is considered the first true
Afro-Cuban jazz or
Latin jazz tune.