Composers

The composers who created the forms — the people who wrote the contradanzas, danzones, boleros, and sones that became the foundation of Cuban musical culture.

Behind the genres are the composers who invented them. These figures are defined primarily by their compositional legacy — the pieces they wrote that became standards, the forms they created that defined entire eras of Cuban music and dance.

• Aniceto Díaz — Composer, musician (1887–1964)
• Enrique Bonne — Musician, composer (1926–2013)
• Ignacio Cervantes — Composer, pianist (1847–1905)
• Ignacio Piñeiro — Musician, composer, bandleader (1888–1969)
• Manuel Saumell — Composer, pianist (1817–1870)
• Miguel Faílde — Musician, composer (1852–1921)
• Pepe Sánchez — Composer (1856–1918)
• Sindo Garay — Composer, guitarist (1867–1968)