A lyric poet of very diverse and opposing opinions, he was, in spite of his delicate health, a tireless worker and promoter of literature. He was among the cultivators of siboneyismo and criollismo, and became a devoted singer of the Cuban land where he was born. Together with José Fornaris, his close friend, he published in 1856 La Piragua, a newspaper that aspired to be the organ of siboneyismo, in which he published, among other poems, "Cuentos de Tema Siboney", and prose works, such as "Romances Cubanos". He was born in Havana on July 21, 1826.

Siboneyismo

It constitutes a movement of poetry that highlights the culture of the Indians who were the primitive inhabitants of Cuba. It is a manifestation that develops in Spanish America and forms an aspect of a poetry of nationalist affirmation.

Criollismo

It is a literary current that is denominated in Cuban literature to the treatment of vernacular themes and motifs related to the people who live in the countryside. Its manifestation is related to lyric and narrative.

José Fornaris

He was born in the city of Bayamo, then Oriente province, on March 18, 1827. He was one of the many Bayamo patriots who had an impact on the literary creations of his time. He was one of the creators of the first Cuban trova song, La Bayamesa, and dedicated all his talent to literature and journalism. He died in Havana on September 19, 1890.