Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill was born on October 28, 1921, in Havana, Cuba, into an aristocratic family. Initially expected to pursue a career in law, O'Farrill's passion for jazz led him down a different path. He discovered big band jazz while attending military school in Florida, where he learned to play the trumpet. Upon returning to Havana, he studied classical music at the Havana Conservatory under Felix Guerrero and performed in local nightclubs.

In 1948, O'Farrill moved to New York City to further his studies at the Juilliard School and immerse himself in the jazz scene. He quickly made a name for himself as an arranger, working with prominent figures like Benny Goodman, who gave him the nickname "Chico" due to difficulty pronouncing his name. O'Farrill's arrangements for Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Art Farmer, and Machito, particularly the renowned "Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite" featuring Charlie Parker, solidified his reputation.

O'Farrill's work was pivotal in the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz movements of the late 1940s and 1950s. His compositions, characterized by bold, brassy sounds and delicate classical influences, were groundbreaking. He led his own Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, performing at venues like Birdland and touring the U.S.

In 1957, O'Farrill relocated to Mexico City with his wife, singer Lupe Valero, before returning to New York in 1965. He worked as an arranger and music director for CBS and continued composing for jazz icons. Despite a period of reduced activity from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, O'Farrill made a notable comeback with the 1995 release of "Pure Emotion."

Chico O'Farrill passed away on June 27, 2001, in New York City. His legacy lives on through his contributions to jazz and his son, Arturo O'Farrill, who continues to lead the band Chico once directed.