Nono Valdés Noriega

He was born in Santa Clara. He is one of the great Cuban set designers of the first third of the century, along with Arias, Gomís and Manolo Roig.

During his youth he worked as a tailor and was a musician in a children's band. He soon felt his true vocation and studied scenic design in La Habana—he carried out his first works for the Molino Rojo theater—.

He then went to Barcelona and upon his return worked for the company of Arquímedes Pous, for that of Regino López, at the Alhambra theater—first as Gomís's assistant and later on his own— and for the Cuban zarzuela company of the Martí theater.

He is credited with the set designs for La isla de las cotorras (1923), La revista sin hilos (1926), Niña Rita (1927), Cecilia Valdés (1932), Rosa la china (1932), La hija del sol (1934).

He also worked for the Hispanic theater in New York (1929…).

Nono Valdés Noriega died in La Habana in 1947.