Israel Lopez, better known as Cachao, was born in Havana, Cuba during the year 1918. His family was musical, and legend has it that Cachao was one of 35 bassists in the family. Cachao carried on the tradition proudly, playing with the Havana Philharmonic at the age of 12. Over the course of the next seventy plus years, Cachao developed a style of bass playing that has informed generations of players. Playing the bass with the aggressive and rhythmic nature of a drum, he introduced syncopations in the bass language that have yet to be matched. His bowing and melodic invention have made him an important lyrical voice and composer. If there is one latin bass player to study deeply, it is Cachao.

In 1937, flautist Antonio Arcaño formed his charanga orquesta, Antonio Arcaño y sus Maravillas. Two key members of that group were Cachao and his brother Orestes Lopez. Cachao and Orestes served as songwriters for the busy ensemble, and over the course of their stay with Arcaño, they wrote more than 3000 danzones. In 1938, the brothers wrote the song Mambo, introducing the danzon-mambo rhythm to the island. The group performed live often and in addition, they were heard regularly on the Mil Diez radio station (where they were called the "Orquesta Radiofónica"). As a result, the band popularized the Mambo rhythm and Cachao is often thought of as the creator of the Mambo.

In the mid-1950's, Cachao again shook Cuban popular music through his innovative Descarga sessions. At the time, many of Havana's top musicians kept a busy schedule performing in a variety of contexts. Many of these performances though were aimed at tourists, and kept tight musical constraints on the performing artists. Many of the musicians on these gigs, such as Cachao, were very interested in American jazz and improvisation in music. Anxious to master this art, the musicians met late at night in "after-hours" jam sessions. Cachao eventually convinced Panart records to allow the musicians access to their recording studio after hours for a few nights. The resulting records, Cuban Jam Session, Vol. 1, 2, & 3 have gone down as landmarks in Cuban jazz. The actual songs are loose improvisations around one to three chords, but the sense of spontaneity and improvisatory freedom is stunning.

After moving to the States in the early sixties, Cachao worked in a variety of settings. In the early sixties, he played with New York's finest bands, including Tito Rodriguez and Machito. The recording Tito, Tito, Tito from the Tito Rodriguez band features Cachao in his prime during this era. In the seventies, Cachao worked in Los Vegas, playing shows, and again, entertaining tourists. As the eighties approached, Cachao moved once again, this time to Miami. He performed with a variety of local groups, playing everything from experimental latin jazz to weddings. He recorded two albums with Walfredo De Los Reyes and Paquito Hechavarria entitled Maestro de Maestros and Latin Jazz Descarga, Part 2. For the most part though, he remained fairly invisible, playing low profile gigs.

Cachao returned to the forefront of Cuban music again in the nineties. In 1993, Cuban saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera recorded an album using Miami musicians exclusively entitled 40 Years of Cuban Jam Sessions . This work featured Cachao extensively, and he was soon playing larger gigs again. During a performance in Los Angeles, actor Andy Garcia heard his playing and was inspired to chronicle his life. The resulting work was a documentary film titled Cachao . . . Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos (Like His Rhythm There Is No Other) . This movie, and the accompanying albums, Master Sessions, Vol. 1 & 2 , propelled Cachao into the spotlight. He won Grammy awards for Master Sessions, Vol. 1 , his 2003 collaboration with Bebo Valdes and Patato Valdés, El Arte Del Sabor , and for his 2005 album Ahora Si . Now at 89, Cachao continues to perform and record, remaining an essential voice in latin bass playing.