Joseíto Fernández, known as the King of Melody, was born on September 5, 1908, in the heart of the city, in the Los Sitios neighborhood. At the age of 12, he was singing serenades with his neighborhood friends. Without formal musical training, he joined trios with young amateurs and later joined several orchestras, while earning a living as a shoemaker.

Composer of the well-known Guantanamera in 1928; however, it wasn’t until a decade later, when Alejandro Riveiro used it as his orchestra’s farewell theme, that this melody began to become widely known, and has become today the most widely performed Cuban creation worldwide.

As the orchestra played the chords of the catchy melody, this brilliant Cuban musician improvised décimas about the qualities of the local women, which he began to do, adapting the improvised lyrics to the Cuban town where the dance party was taking place. The author himself confessed that the guajira was dedicated to the women of the city of Guantánamo, to the Guantanamera, for sentimental reasons.

He was exclusively hired by a Cuban radio station in 1943 to feature his song daily on a program that broadcast and dramatized the day’s crime report, using the song’s chorus. He performed décimas, to the beat of the melody, which complemented the drama or reflected on the tragic events.

During the golden years of the Danzonete, Joseíto Fernández sang accompanied by the Raimundo Pía y Rivero orchestra, and later with his own danzone group.

La Guantanamera became internationally famous on June 8, 1963, when the American troubadour Pete Seeger presented a version at Carnegie Hall in New York that included several of José Martí’s Versos Sencillos.

He created more than 200 highly popular musical compositions, such as the one performed by Benny Moré entitled “Choose You, I’ll Sing.” He also composed several boleros and guarachas, including “Son Candela,” “Amor de Madre,” “Tu Tierra y Tu Libertad,” and “Así Son, Boncó.”

Joseíto Fernández was someone who made simplicity a daily practice. He also stood out for his respectful treatment of all those he interacted with. He died in Havana on October 11, 1979.

This great Cuban musician was deeply inspired by the success and international acclaim of his Guajira Guantanamera. He reflected this in one of his last interviews, stating: “I am infinitely grateful to everyone for the affection with which they remember me… I give everyone my infinite, profound, and eternal gratitude, not only on my own behalf, but on behalf of my beloved Cuban people, because we Cubans have the most sincere affection for all our brothers and sisters…”

“What I do want everyone to know is that Joseíto Fernández and his Guajira Guantanamera, with the Cuban people, are eternally grateful to you….”