Moisés Simón Rodríguez, known as Moisés Simons, was a Cuban composer, pianist, and conductor. He was born on August 24, 1889, in Havana. He began his musical studies at the age of five, studying with his father, Leandro Simón Guergué, who was a piano teacher. Four years later, he became organist at the Jesús María neighborhood church and then choirmaster at Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church.
Beginning in 1901, at the Teatro Martí, he began directing children’s companies. Three years later, he studied composition with Ignacio Tellería, Fernando Carnicer, and Felipe Palau, and counterpoint with José Maury Esteve. By 1906, he had his own orchestra, hosting variety shows at theaters throughout the capital, where he served as conductor and pianist. He then went on to direct the musical group at the Tivoli amusement park on Palatino.
Around 1908, Moisés Simons conducted the Teatro Martí orchestra, a venue that performed Ernesto Lecuona’s musical comedies. He then moved to the Teatro Payret, where he was hired by the Spanish composer Vicente Lleó, who directed his zarzuela company. Around this time, he toured several countries, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Central America. The following year, 1909, he wrote Historia, origen y filosofía de la música (History, Origin, and Philosophy of Music) for the Havana newspaper La Lucha, works he continued in subsequent years.

In February 1913, Esperanza Iris’s company premiered her operetta, Deuda de amor, at the Teatro Albisu. It was staged in three acts and featured a libretto by Fermín Samper.
In 1920, he performed with his orchestra at the Baile de los Mantones (Shawls Dance) at the Casino de la Playa; in 1922, he performed at the Havana Yacht Club, where he entertained at the dances. In 1926, he gave a Traditional Cuban Concert at the National Theater (Paseo and 39th Street, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana). During this decade, he also directed the orchestra at the Hotel Plaza (Ignacio Agramonte No. 267, Old Havana, Havana).
Alberto Prieto, Luis Rodríguez and Pablo O’Farrill, Rodolfo O’Farrill, Miguel Poveda and Rogelio Valdés, were some of the members of his group
During that same decade, he toured Puerto Rico with the Las Bárcenas Company. On this occasion, he premiered Guateque, with lyrics by Alejo Carpentier. 1928 marked the beginning of Moisés Simons’s fame as a composer, when singer Rita Montaner recorded his piece El manisero for the Columbia label. He also traveled to New York, a trip he made again the following year, in 1929, but this time he was invited by the Edward Murks label, as El manisero was already a hit in New York with Antonio Machín.
In 1930, Moisés traveled to Europe on a promotional trip sent by his brother Fausto Simón, manager of the Plaza Hotel (Ignacio Agramonte No. 267, Old Havana, Havana). He was well received there, as the orchestras made up of Cuban musicians playing in Paris included El manisero in their repertoire.
He returned to his homeland at the end of that year, and in early 1931, he traveled to Spain, where he premiered his comedy Niña Mercé at the Calderón Theater in Madrid. María del Carmen Vinent and Mistinguette, the star of the Casino de Paris, premiered their compositions A una rosa and Los tres golpees in this city, respectively.
His slogan, “Chivo que rompe tambó,” was popularized by Ignacio Villa, known as Bola de Nieve.
El manisero, his most famous piece, has been performed by various musical groups as well as singers. It is also the theme song for the film The Cuban Song, scored by Ernesto Lecuona. In the 1950s, Judy Garland sang a fragment of it in the film A Star Is Born.
In October 1934, he premiered his operetta Toi c’est moi at the Bouffes, Paris, considered Europe’s temple of light music. It was written in collaboration with Henri Duvernois, one of France’s most famous novelists. It features various musical genres and innovative sound effects. It was performed by contemporary stars such as Simone Simon, Lyne Clevers, Pauline Carton, and Ginette Leclers, among others. This operetta is considered by critics to be Moisés Simons’s greatest achievement.
Two years later, he premiered another operetta, Le chant des tropiques, at the Théâtre de Paris. It starred Jean Sablon, Roger Bourdin, Hélène Regelli, and Cuban singer Antonio Machín. The latter performed El manisero. The song Cubanacán is from this work, and later became part of the repertoires of Raquel Meller, Jean Sablon, and Tino Rossi.
In 1942, Moisés returned to Cuba, then traveled to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Coruña, and from there to Madrid. There, he was hired to score the film Bambú and composed the song “Hoy como ayer” (Today Like Yesterday) for Celia Gámez.
In 1944, Toi c’est moi premiered in Madrid, with a Spanish text by Frederick Shaw; and in Barcelona in 1945.
Among his contributions to Cuban music, not counting his compositions, we can mention that as a jazz band orchestra director, during the 1930s, he introduced the Danzón in this type of instrumental format.
Today, the compositions of this great Cuban musician can still be heard, performed by various groups and prominent singers, and featured in films from all over the world. Among Moisés Simons’s compositional work, we find:
Song: To a Rose, Hummingbird, Cubanacán (from the operetta Le chant des tropiques); Today Like Yesterday (from the film Bambú); Beautiful Mexican, The Three Blows, Marta and Palmira.
Works of various genres: Zaida, 1913 (a capricho); This is my homeland, Goat that breaks a tambo, Cubanola, Cuban dances, The peanut vendor (son-proclamation); The little trumpet, Montmartre (march); ñáñigo step, What is the danzón?, Rumba guajira, Cuban serenade, Vacúnala.
Lyrical theater: Debt of love (libretto: Fermín Samper); The black Quirina, Le chant des tropics, Niña Mercé; Toi c’est moi (libretto: Henri Duvernois).
Moisés Simón Rodríguez, one of the colossal exponents of Cuban music, died on June 28, 1945 in Madrid, Spain.