# José Fernández Díaz

**Date of birth:** September 5, 1908

**Date of death:** October 11, 1979

**Categories:** Music, Singer, Arts, Society

He was born in Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. A composer and singer, born into a humble family in the Los Sitios neighborhood, from a very young age he had to balance his studies with helping support his family as a street vendor and later as a shoemaker, until he began his career as a singer of décimas in trios and various septets in the 1920s, among which are remembered Jiguaní, Dioses del amor, Amate, Juventud Habanera, and Boloña.

With the arrival of the danzonete created by Aniceto Díaz on the scene, which revived the presence of so-called French charangas-type orchestras (traditionally associated with danzón) and with it the need to include a singer, Joseito Fernández joined, in 1927, the orchestra of Raimundo Pía y Rivero.

It was in this decade, exactly in the year 1928, that he created his famous guajira-son "Guajira Guantanamera" based on a refrain or montuno that he would repeat Mi linda guajira/guajira guantanamera, as a peculiar melody, whose improvisations did not follow the traditional form of son such as quatrains or "reginas," but rather the form of seguidilla, that is to say several décimas sung without interruption, which made it possible to sing or narrate historical and social facts or events that occurred.

Thus, this music, like that of the ancient Spanish romances, would later transform the inspired and young troubadour into one of the most famous authors of Cuban popular music, when American singer Pete Seeger, during a recital in New York in 1960, sang and recorded Guajira Guantanamera for the first time with the Simple Verses of José Martí.

Entering the 1930s, when singers such as Pablo Quevedo, Paulina Álvarez, Abelardo Barroso, Barbarito Diez, and Alberto Aroche, among others, enjoyed great popularity, Joseito Fernández achieved such successes in his performances.

First on Radio Lavín (CMCO) and later on Radio Cadena Azul and CMQ with his own orchestra formed in 1938, he became known popularly as the "King of Melody," a name by which he would always be remembered for his role as a minstrel or chronicler on El suceso de hoy, a radio program in which he participated for years narrating events, offering social criticism, supporting campaigns to request benefits for others, or simply greeting the people or the authorities, or promoting commercial firms, among other content covered in his artistic presentations.

In this way he improvised, on one subject or another, themes over the same melody of La Guantanamera. In fact, in 1953, he even came to request general amnesty for a group of prisoners with his by-then famous tune at the request of the National Committee of Cuban Mothers.

In this course of events, in that same year, he dissolved his orchestra and formed a group with which he continued his artistic work, developing important work until 1961 when, for reasons of health, he retired.

As recognition of his professional work, he received well-deserved distinctions, among which stand out the title of Honorary Member granted by the Center of Instruction and Recreation "La Bella Unión de Martí," founded in 1903 (1938); Radio Trophy for being the most outstanding artist of the year (1950); Diario Avance Trophy for El Suceso de Hoy being the most listened to radio program (1960); the Order of 30 Years of Dedication to Art (1968); Tribute for his 70 years offered by the Ministry of Culture in Sancti Spíritus (1978); Tributes at the Casa de la Trova of Centro Habana and at the CDR of his block; and Reception at the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) offered by Nicolás Guillén, the national poet.

He participated in innumerable artistic events and shared the stage with prestigious figures. Evidence of this is his status as an Exclusive Artist of RCA Víctor from 1940 until the Triumph of the Revolution; his performances during practically his entire life on Radio and Television, in spaces such as UNION RADIO (1960), on the television program Cabaret Regalías, where on one occasion he sang alongside Benny Moré, on the humorous program San Nicolás del Peladero and others, and in many performances in cabarets, theaters, documentaries, and festivals.

His authored work and discography are truly extensive. He composed more than 40 works, among which genres such as guajira-son, bolero, guaracha, son, pregón, and guaguancó predominate, many of them recorded on discs by national and foreign companies and performed by prestigious figures.

As part of his discography, Guajira Guantanamera has countless vocal and/or instrumental interpretations and recordings, both national and international.

For his singular way of singing and communicating feelings in the style of the most authentic troubadours, with deep creole roots full of vigor, freshness, and creativity, his presence will always be remembered as that of a minstrel committed to his time.