Francisco Poveda Armenteros

Cuban poet, called by his contemporaries the "Cuban troubadour". Among his works it is worth mentioning La guirnalda habanera and Las rosas del amor. He was also a sabanero, cattle hand, dramatic actor, district captain, primary education teacher, and employee of sugar mills and coffee plantations.

He was born in La Habana. Since 1816 he resided in Sagua la Grande and held various jobs to earn his living. In 1829 he published his first poem in "Ramillete Cubano" and also collaborated in "El Eco", from Santa Clara, "El Sagua" and "La Luz", both from Sagua la Grande. According to Lezama, he was the founder of popular poetry.

In 1830, while working as an actor in La Habana, he published his collection of poems "La guirnalda habanera". He called himself El Trovador Cubano. He was one of the best non-anonymous oral precedents of literary criollismo.

Author of the theatrical work, famous in his time "El peón de Bayamo", which was performed at a charitable evening held for his benefit, organized at the Liceo de Guanabacoa, by writer José E. Triay, in 1879.

In his desire to appear as an educated poet without being one, he gradually distanced himself from his original essence. That, and the strange fact of living until 1881 without writing a single stanza to the ideal of independence, are perhaps his lack of roots in popular memory.

From his extensive work we can mention "Leyendas cubanas" (1846), "El triple campesino", "Las rosas de amor" (1831), "Ramillete poético", "Guirnalda Habanera" (1830), "Colección de canciones y poemas" (1863), or "La vida del majagüero" (1863).

Outstanding intellectuals of the time, such as Domingo del Monte and Ignacio Valdés Machuca, praised his work. He is considered the initiator of criollismo in our poetry.

He died on May 21, 1881 in Sagua la Grande.