List of Cubans explained
This is a list of notable Cubans, ordered alphabetically by first name within each category.
Additional lists
For Cuban-Americans please see List of Cuban Americans
Art and entertainment
Actors
- Ana de Armas, actress
- Ana Margarita Martínez-Casado, actress and singer
- Andy García, actor
- Roberto Escobar, actor
- César Évora, actor
- Daisy Fuentes, actress
- Desi Arnaz, actor
- Emiliano Díez, actor
- Enrique Molina, actor
- Faizon Love, actor and comedian
- Francisco Gattorno, actor
- Julio Oscar Mechoso, actor
- Luis Oquendo, actor
- Luisa Martínez Casado (1860–1925), actress
- Manela Bustamante, actress
- María Conchita Alonso, actress
- Mario Cimarro, actor
- Mario Ernesto Sánchez, actor and founder of Teatro Avante
- Renny Arozarena, actor
- Steven Bauer, actor
- Velia Martínez, actress and singer
- William Levy, actor
- Nobel Vega, actor, "Tio Nobel"
Architects
Artists, photographers and fashion designers
See main article: List of Cuban artists.
- Agustín Cárdenas, sculptor
- Alberto Korda, photographer
- Alexandre Arrechea, painter, sculptor
- Amelia Peláez, painter
- Baruj Salinas, painter
- Carlos Enríquez, painter
- Fidelio Ponce de León, painter
- Herman Puig (born German Puig Paredes), photographer
- Humberto Jesús Castro García, painter
- José Bernal, painter
- José Vilalta Saavedra, sculptor
- Josignacio, creator of plastic paint medium, contemporary painter
- Juan José Sicre, sculptor
- Juan T. Vázquez Martín, painter
- Lourdes Gomez Franca, painter
- Luis Castaneda, photographer
- Mario Perez, painter
- Miguel Fleitas, painter, photographer
- Miguel Rodez, painter, sculptor
- Pedro Álvarez Castelló, painter
- Rafael Consuegra, sculptor
- Raúl Corrales, photographer
- Raúl Martínez, pop artist, painter
- Rene Mederos, poster artist and graphic designer
- René Portocarrero, painter
- Tomas Sanchez, painter
- Victor Manuel, painter
- Waldo Diaz-Balart, painter
- Wifredo Lam, painter
Authors and poets
See main article: List of Cuban writers.
- Alejo Carpentier,[1] novelist
- Antonio Benitez-Rojo, author
- Brígida Agüero, poet
- Daína Chaviano, author
- Carilda Oliver Labra, poet
- Domitila García de Coronado, writer and journalist
- Dulce María Loynaz, author
- Edmundo Desnoes, author
- Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, author, poet
- Guillermo Cabrera Infante, author
- Heberto Padilla, poet
- Héctor Zumbado, writer, journalist, humorist, critic
- José Ignacio Rivero, author and journalist
- Antonio Rodríguez Salvador, poet, author
- José Lezama Lima, author, poet
- José María Heredia y Campuzano, poet
- José Martí, author, poet, journalist
- Julián del Casal, 19th-century poet
- Leonardo Padura Fuentes, novelist, journalist
- Mariano Brull, author
- Nancy Morejón, author
- José Gómez-Sicre, art critic and author
- Nicolás Guillén, poet
- Norberto Fuentes, author
- Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, author, poet, painter
- Pedro Luis Boitel, poet
- Raúl Rivero, poet and journalist
- Reinaldo Arenas, author
- Severo Sarduy, poet
- Virgilio Piñera, author, playwright, poet, short-story writer and essayist
- Zoé Valdés, author
- Cirilo Villaverde
Composers
- Alejandro García Caturla, symphonic composer
- Mariá Álvarez Rios, composer
- Antonio María Romeu, composer
- Arsenio Rodríguez, developer of the rumba
- Didier Hernández, singer, composer; former member of Menudo and MDO
- Ernesto Lecuona, often regarded as the greatest Cuban composer
- Esteban Salas y Castro, 18th century Cuban baroque composer
- Gonzalo Roig, often regarded as one of the greatest composers of Cuba, "Quiere me mucho"/ Cecilia Valdez
- Ignacio Cervantes, Chopinesque piano composer
- José White Lafitte, violinist and composer
- Leo Brouwer, guitarist and composer
- Yalil Guerra, composer
- Amadeo Roldán, composer and violinist
- Dámaso Pérez Prado, developer of the mambo
- Armando Rodriguez-Gonzalez, composer
- Antonio Rodríguez Ferrer, composer
- René Touzet, composer, bandleader and pianist
- Flores Chaviano, guitarist and composer
- Danilo Avilés, composer
- Magaly Ruiz, composer
- José Ardévol, composer
- Harold Gramatges, composer
- Carlos Fariñas, composer
- Roberto Valera, composer
- Julián Orbón, composer
- Margarita Lecuona, singer and composer
Chess
Musicians
- Aida Diestro, pianist, arranger
- Albita, singer
- Alfredo de la Fé, musician
- Adalberto Álvarez, pianist, director, composer
- Ángel Reyes, violinist
- AJ McLean, singer, member of American boyband The Backstreet Boys
- Armando Peraza, percussionist
- Arturo Sandoval, trumpeter
- Arsenio Rodríguez, composer
- Benny Moré, singer, songwriter, conductor, arranger
- Bola de Nieve, singer, pianist
- Camila Cabello, musician, songwriter, actress
- Cándido Fabré, musician, singer-songwriter
- Carlos Manuel Pruneda, singer
- Carlos Varela, singer-songwriter
- Celia Cruz, singer
- Chocolate MC, el rey del Reparto
- Celina González, singer-songwriter
- Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, pianist, musician
- Christina Milian, singer
- Chucho Valdés, pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger
- Compay Segundo, musician, songwriter
- Conchita Espinosa, pianist, teacher
- Cuban Link, rapper
- Cubanito 20.02, hip-hop band
- Dave Lombardo, drummer
- David Calzado, musician
- Didier Hernández, singer-songwriter
- Donna Maria Martinez, guitarist and singer
- Eddy Zervigon, flautist and bandleader
- Elena Burke, singer
- El Medico, timba musician
- Eliades Ochoa, guitarist and singer
- Emilio Estefan, producer, composer
- Ernesto Lecuona, pianist, composer
- Esther Borja, singer
- Eusebio Delfín, singer
- Francisco Aguabella, percussionist
- German Nogueira Gomez, songwriter, composer, producer
- Gloria Estefan, singer, composer
- Gonzalo Rubalcaba, pianist
- Guillermo Portabales, singer, songwriter
- Guillermo Rubalcaba, musician
- Harold Lopez Nussa, jazz pianist
- Horacio Gutiérrez, concert pianist
- Hubert de Blanck, pianist, composer
- Ignacio Piñeiro, composer
- Ibrahim Ferrer, musician
- Issac Delgado, singer
- Jacobo Rubalcaba, musician
- Jorge Bolet, concert pianist
- Juan Croucier, bassist
- Juan Formell, composer
- Juan de Marcos González, musician
- Juana Zayas, concert pianist
- La Lupe, singer
- Lena, singer
- Lissette, singer
- Magali del Valle, opera singer[2]
- Malena Burke, singer
- Manuel Barrueco, classical guitarist
- María Teresa Vera, composer, guitarist, singer
- Mayra Verónica, singer
- Miguel Matamoros, singer, composer
- Moisés Valle, musician
- Moisés Simons, composer
- Mongo Santamaría, jazz musician
- Moraima Secada, singer
- Nelson Martinez, baritone
- Ñico Saquito, composer, singer
- Olga Guillot, singer
- Omara Portuondo, singer
- Orlando "Cachaito" López, bassist
- Pablo Milanés, singer-songwriter
- Pío Leyva, singer
- Pitbull, rapper
- Raul Paz, singer
- Rey Ruiz, singer
- Rita Montaner, singer
- Roberto Faz, singer, conductor
- Rubén González, pianist
- Rudy Sarzo, rock bassist
- Sen Dog, rapper
- Silvio Rodríguez, singer-songwriter
- Tico Torres, drummer, percussionist
- Willy Chirino, singer-songwriter
- Voltaire (musician), musician
- Xavier Cugat, musician
- Yalil Guerra, producer, musician, composer
- Yotuel Romero, rapper
Film directors
Journalists
Dancers
- Alicia Alonso, Prima Ballerina Assoluta, director of the Cuban National Ballet (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)
- Carlos Acosta, dancer
- Sadaise Arencibia, star dancer with the Cuban National Ballet
- Fernando Bujones, dancer
- Jose Manuel Carreño, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer
- Lydia Diaz Cruz, prima ballerina
- Miguel Campaneria, ballet dancer, currently artistic director of the National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico
- Vida Guerra, video dancer
- Yat-Sen Chang, principal dancer, English National Ballet
Other entertainment
- Alvarez Guedes, comedian and author
- Ana María Polo, television personality and lawyer
- Alina María Hernández, "Cachita", television personality
- Cristina Saralegui, magazine editor, talk show host (Cristina) and actress
- Vida Guerra, model/actress
- Lili Estefan, television personality and former model
- Mauricio Zeilic, television personality
- Mayra Verónica, model
- Nelson Ascencio, comedian (Madtv)
- Pedro Zamora, AIDS activist, featured on
- Raúl De Molina, television personality
- Raúl Musibay, Food Network chef and author
- Rosaura Andreu, children's television entertainer
Sport
Baseball
- Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami Marlins
- Adolfo Luque, Cincinnati Reds
- Alex Fernandez, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins
- Alex Sánchez
- Ariel Pestano, Cuba national baseball team
- Ariel Prieto, Oakland Athletics
- Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
- Aurelio Monteagudo, Kansas City Athletics
- Barbaro Canizares, Atlanta Braves
- Biaiedo,チュニドラ
- Bárbaro Garbey, Detroit Tigers
- Bert Campaneris, Kansas City Athletics
- Brayan Peña, Atlanta Braves
- Cristóbal Torriente, Negro leagues, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Danys Báez, Baltimore Orioles
- Diego Seguí, Kansas City Athletics
- Desupaine,便器
- Eli Marrero, New York Mets
- Esteban Bellán, first Latin American professional baseball player to play in the United States
- Germán Mesa, trainer for the Cuban national baseball team
- Jack Calvo, Washington Senators
- Jasiel Rivero (born 1993), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Jorge Soler, Chicago Cubs
- José Abreu, Chicago White Sox
- José Canseco, Oakland Athletics
- José Cardenal, San Francisco Giants
- José Contreras, Chicago White Sox
- José Fernández, Miami Marlins
- José Iglesias, Detroit Tigers
- José Méndez, Kansas City Monarchs, Baseball Hall of Fame
- José Rodríguez, New York Giants
- José Tartabull, Kansas City Athletics
- Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
- Liván Hernández, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Luis Tiant, Cleveland Indians
- Martín Dihigo, Negro leagues, Baseball Hall of Fame
- Mike Cuellar, Cincinnati Reds
- Minnie Miñoso, Chicago White Sox
- Octavio "Cookie" Rojas, Cincinnati Reds
- Omar Linares, Pinar del Río Vegueros, Cuban national baseball team
- Orestes Destrade, New York Yankees, ESPN on-air personality
- Orlando Hernández, New York Mets
- Ozzie Canseco, Oakland Athletics
- Pedro Ramos, Washington Senators
- Preston Gómez, Washington Senators
- Rafael Palmeiro, Baltimore Orioles
- Ray Noble, New York Giants
- René Arocha, St. Louis Cardinals
- René Monteagudo, Washington Senators
- Rey Ordóñez, New York Mets
- Roberto "Bobby" Estalella, Washington Senators
- Rolando Arrojo, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Sandy Amorós, Brooklyn Dodgers
- Tony Fossas, Texas Rangers
- Tony González, Cincinnati Reds
- Tony Oliva, Minnesota Twins
- Tony Pérez, Cincinnati Reds
- Tony Taylor, Chicago Cubs
- Yuniesky Betancourt, last played for the Milwaukee Brewers
- Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Yasmani Grandal, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Yoenis Céspedes, New York Mets
- Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota Twins, first Latin American Major League MVP in
- Alexei Ramírez, Chicago White Sox
- Yunel Escobar, Washington Nationals
Boxing
- Adolfo Horta, featherweight Olympic boxer
- Ariel Hernández, Middleweight Olympic boxer
- Armando Martínez, light middle-weight Olympic boxer
- Benny Paret, boxer
- Eliseo Castillo, boxer
- Félix Savón, Olympic boxer
- Florentino Fernández, boxer
- Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz, amateur boxer
- Joel Casamayor, boxer
- Jorge Rubio, boxing trainer
- José Nápoles, boxer
- Kid Charol, boxer
- Kid Chocolate, boxer
- Kid Gavilán, boxer
- Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros, Olympic welterweight boxer
- Luis Manuel Rodríguez, boxer
- Mario César Kindelán Mesa, Olympic gold medal-winning boxer
- Raúl González, boxer
- Roberto Balado, Olympic super heavyweight boxer
- Sugar Ramos, world champion boxer
- Teófilo Stevenson, amateur boxer
- Yan Bartelemí, light flyweight gold medal-winning boxer
- Yanqui Díaz, boxer
- Yudel Johnson Cedeno light-welterweight Olympic boxer
- Yuriorkis Gamboa, flyweight Olympic gold medal-winning boxer
Athletes
- Alberto Juantorena, track
- Aliecer Urrutia, triple jump
- Ana Fidelia Quirot, 800m
- Anier García, hurdler
- Dayron Robles, hurdling athlete
- Emeterio González, javelin thrower
- Héctor Herrera, sprinter
- Ioamnet Quintero, high jumper
- Iván García, sprinter
- Iván Pedroso, long jump
- Javier Sotomayor, track and field record setter
- Joel Isasi, sprinter
- Joel Lamela, sprinter
- Jorge Aguilera, sprinter
- Lázaro Martínez, sprinter
- Luis Alberto Pérez-Rionda, sprinter
- Osleidys Menéndez, javelin
- Roberto Hernández
- Roberto Moya, discus throw
- Víctor Moya, high jumper
- Yargelis Savigne, jump
- Yarisley Silva, pole vaulter
- Yipsi Moreno, hammer thrower
- Yoandri Betanzos, triple jump
- Yoel García, triple jumper
- Yoel Hernández, hurdler
- Yudelkis Fernández, long jumper
- Yunaika Crawford, hammer thrower
- Yuniel Hernández, hurdler
Swimming
Other
- Deborah Andollo, holds world records in free diving
- Alberto Delgado, soccer
- Ivan Dominguez, two time gold medalist in the Pan American Games and Cuban national champion in cycling
- Héctor Socorro, footballer
- Ibrahim Rojas, flatwater canoer
- Juan Tuñas, former Cuban footballer
- Manrique Larduet, gymnast
- Rafael A. Lecuona, gymnast
- Rey Ángel Martínez, soccer
- Tomás Fernández, footballer in the 1938 World Cup
- Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Olympic silver medallist in Taekwondo
- Maykel Galindo, soccer
- Jorge Sánchez Salgado, volleyball player
Politics
Current
- Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, vice president of the Council of State of Cuba
- Alfonso Fraga-Perez, diplomat, Secretary General of the Organization of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America (OSPAAAL), former Head of Cuban Interests Section
- Carlos Lage Dávila, former executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba
- Felipe Pérez Roque, former Cuban government minister
- Fidel Castro, previous First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
- José Luis Rodríguez García, Cuban government minister
- José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, current Minister for Health in Cuba
- Juan Almeida Bosque, third ranking member of the Cuban Council of State
- Luis Posada Carriles, Cuban paramilitary leader, accused terrorist
- Mariela Castro, director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education and daughter of Raúl Castro
- Oscar Elías Biscet, physician and dissident and founder of the Lawton Foundation, currently jailed
- Oswaldo Payá, founder of Proyecto Varela
- Raúl Castro, current First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
- Liaena Hernandez Martínez, youngest member of the Cuban National Assembly
- Roberto Fernández Retamar, President of the Casa de las Américas
- Ricardo Alarcón, President of the Cuban National Assembly
- Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín, former Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment
- Pedro Pablo Prada Quintero, diplomat
- Juan Valdés Figueroa, diplomat
Historical
- Abel Santamaría, Cuban revolutionary
- Alcibiades Hidalgo, former ambassador to the UN
- Ana Betancourt, first to campaign for equal rights for Cuban women, in 1868 during the Ten Years' War
- Andrés Rivero Agüero, Cuba's prime minister from March 1957 to March 1958
- Anselmo Alliegro, acting president of Cuba for one day (1–2 January 1959) after the departure of General Fulgencio Batista from the country
- Antonio Guiteras, politician and revolutionary
- Antonio Maceo, revolutionary, military strategist
- Armando Hart Dávalos, politician and Communist leader
- Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban revolutionary
- Carlos Hevia, provisional president of Cuba 1934
- Pilar Jorge de Tella, suffragist
- Carlos Manuel Piedra, acting president of Cuba for one day (2 January 1959) after the departure of General Fulgencio Batista from the country
- Carlos Prío Socarrás, former President of Cuba
- Celia Sánchez, Cuban revolutionary and Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
- Cosme Torres Espinoza, ambassador to Zimbabwe
- Eduardo Chibás, Cuban politician who used radio to broadcast his political views against Batista's government to the public
- Federico Laredo Brú, President of Cuba from 1936 to 1940
- Fernando Tarrida del Mármol, Cuban anarchist
- Fabio Grobart, Communist leader
- Fulgencio Batista, former Cuban President
- Frank País, 20th century revolutionary
- Gerardo Machado, Cuban president 1920–33
- Gustavo Arcos, Cuban Revolutionary later became an imprisoned dissident
- Huber Matos, Cuban Revolutionary
- Ignacio Agramonte, 19th century Cuban revolutionary
- Jorge Mas Canosa, founder of the Cuban American National Foundation
- José Miró Cardona, President of Cuba in 1959
- José Martí, poet, philosopher, politician, writer, revolutionary
- Juan Carlos Robinson Agramonte, former member of the Cuban politburo and first Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Cuban Communist Party in Santiago de Cuba
- Julio Antonio Mella, founder of the original Cuban Communist Party
- Jorge Payret, diplomat and academic
- Leopoldo Cancio, deputy and Sectetary of Education
- Manuel Piñeiro, first head of the Cuban General Intelligence Directorate
- Manuel Urrutia Lleó, provisional Cuban President January to July 1959
- Miguel Mariano Gómez, President of Cuba for seven months in 1936
- Paul Lafargue, Cuban-born French Communist and son-in-law to Karl Marx
- Pedro Pablo Cazañas, Cuban judge and politician
- Rafael Diaz-Balart, Cuban politician and majority leader during presidency of Batista
- Ramón Grau, Cuban president for two terms 1933, 1940–44
- Saturnino and Mariano Lora, brothers and 19th century revolutionaries
- Vilma Espín Guillois, President of the Cuban Federation of Women, wife of Raúl Castro
- Virgilio Paz Romero, anti-Castro paramilitary
Religion
Royalty and nobility
Military
- Adolfo Fernández Cavada, captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War who later served as commander-in-chief of the Cinco Villas during Cuba's Ten Year War
- Alberto Bayo y Giroud, Cuban military leader of the defeated left-wing Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War
- Antonio Maceo Grajales, second-in-command of the Cuban army of independence
- Arnaldo Ochoa, Cuban general
- Calixto García, Cuban soldier in the Ten Years' War
- Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cuban general in the war of independence against the Spanish
- Eliseo Reyes Rodríguez, Cuban guerrillero
- Emilio Mola Vidal (1887–1937), Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39); known for coining the phrase "fifth column"
- Federico Fernández Cavada, colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War; later commander-in-chief of all the Cuban forces during Cuba's Ten Year War
- Jesús Sosa Blanco, captain in the Cuban army under Fulgencio Batista
- José Braulio Alemán, Cuban general in the Spanish–American War
- José Miguel Gómez, Cuban general in the war of independence against the Spanish
- Julius Peter Garesché, lieutenant colonel in the Union Army who served as chief of staff, with the rank of lieutenant colonel to Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans
- Loreta Janeta Velazquez, a.k.a. "Lieutenant Harry Buford", Velazquez was a Cuban-born woman who masqueraded as a male Confederate soldier during the Civil War
- Manuel Artime, leader of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961
- Máximo Gómez, 19th-century leader of Cuban forces in the wars of independence
- Pedro Luis Diaz Lanz, chief air force commander and member of Operation 40
- Víctor Dreke, Communist leader and a general in the Revolutionary Armed Forces
- Tomás Diez Acosta, revolutionary soldier and historian
- Víctor Ivo Acuña Velázquez, military commander
- Pilar Garcia, pre-revolutionary Chief of National Police
Science
- Luis Alvarez, winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physics, worked on the Manhattan Project
- Agustin Walfredo Castellanos, physician
- Carlos Juan Finlay, epidemiologist, proposed the mode of transmission of yellow fever and was instrumental in assisting Walter Reed with his studies in Cuba
- Juan Gundlach, 19th century naturalist and taxonomist
- Celia Hart, Cuban physicist
- Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, first Cuban cosmonaut and the first person from a country in the Western Hemisphere other than the U.S. to travel to space
- Hilda Molina, former chief neurosurgeon in Cuba
- Felipe Poey, zoologist
Other categories
- Sebastian Arcos Bergnes, human rights activist
- Ramón Castro, older brother of Fidel and Raúl Castro
- Mirta Diaz-Balart, Fidel Castro's first wife
- Enriqueta García y Martín, prominent Cuban socialite, businesswoman and landowner
- Delfín Fernández, high ranking government official, defected to Spain
- Gregorio Fuentes, Cuban nautical captain
- Elián González, boy who came to the US, leading to a custody battle between his American family and his father in Cuba
- Jose Miguel Battle, Sr., former Godfather of the Cuban Mafia
- Antonio Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirven, Judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice at the Hague
- Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, educator and college president
- Jesús Permuy, human rights activist, architect, urban planner, community leader
- Ignacio José Urrutia (born 1730), historian
- Nitza Villapol, Cuban chef
Non-resident Cubans
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Bloom . Harold . The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages . 1994 . Harcourt Brace & Company . NY/San Diego/London . 978-1-57322-514-4 . 559–560.
- News: Cuban Senoritas, Winners of Radio Contest, Arrive: Tampa Tribune, July 17, 1938 . The Tampa Tribune . 17 July 1938 . 24 .
- News: LORD MANDEVILLE'S WEDDING.; . 12 July 2015. The New York Times. 23 May 1876 ., Retrieved 5 December 2012.
List of Cuban-Americans
List of Cuban-Mexicans
Taismary Agüero
Alex Cabrera
Arturo Miranda
Bárbara Bermudo
Rita Marley
Mariane Pearl
Oscar Isaac