i mean, you meet dizzy gillespie, and you're this young kid from panama. what's going on for you, as suddenly you're now with the great dizzy gillespie, and not only is he saying, "play with me," he's saying to you, danilo perez, "you have talent"? >> part of that is a basic fundamental that was, you know, meeting people like claudio roditi, victor mendoza, paquito d'rivera. and that... each one of those relationships took me to a place, all the way to dizzy gillespie. and somehow it's a story that has unfolded from every one of those experiences. and of course being with dizzy, i really learned about the human quality in the music, about "don't take things for granted." >> hinojosa: were it not for dizzy gillespie and the fact that he had this kind of global vision, and certainly hemispherically, north-south, in terms of the americas... i mean, he's the one who basically says, "the carribean, it's part of who we are." that... in a lot of ways, you're doing the same thing now with your career, you know? you're panamanian, you live in boston, but you're goi

. >> reporter: chico came to new york and worked as an arranger for benny goodman and dizzy gillespieunding his own oh, tra. he taught arturo his own music and after chico died in 2001, arturo took over. the following year, arturo went to cuba. he went again in 2010. that visit was filmed for the forthcoming documentary "oye cuba, a journey home." people have politicized cuba and politicized your visit there. >> i got a lot of hate mail. >> reporter: saying? >> that i was a disgrace to my farther's name. my farther was rolling in his grave. >> reporter: what remember you hoping to accomplish? >> i brought my father's music back to cuba to be played by his orchestra. the last number was called "fathers and sons, from havana to new york and back." and it featured my children, zach and adam. >> reporter: zach, a drummer, and adam, who plays trumpet, shared the stage in this tribute at the havana jazz festival. >> man, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. >> reporter: o'farrill's sons aren't the only ones to inherit his musical legacy. twice a week when he's not on the road, o'farrill men

. >> she had worked with dizzy gillespie. she played trombone.was rare. >> the only woman i had heard who played trombone. she had this big sound. this had to be early 1950. we collaborated in 1958 for the first time. when she came over to the bandstand, i said, i have to meet this lady. electricity between us. she moved to new york, originally from kansas city commack and like mary lou williams, was living in harlem. they knew each other, the two queens of music. i got together with her and we had the same feeling. you see, artistically, paul robeson said it best. an artist is responsible to fight for freedom. an artist is responsible to change society. not only do you have to be good at your craft, but you have to make a contribution to society. what better contribution than to the african people? there were put on the bottom of the human scale. i wanted to do this suite, in four movements. the first movement was called reimbursed. the second was called african lady. the third was called bantu. we were trying to recognize the significance of af