Ignacio Cervantes

Ignacio Cervantes Kawanag was born in Havana on July 31, 1847. Recognized as a prodigy by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Cervantes entered the Paris Conservatory in 1865, winning first prize in piano and harmony under Antoine François Marmontel.

Returning to Cuba, Cervantes fused Chopin-like romantic pianism with syncopated Afro-Cuban contradanza rhythms, producing 41 miniature masterpieces titled Danzas Cubanas (such as 'Los tres golpes' and 'La celosa'). Exiled twice by Spanish authorities for donating concert proceeds to the independence cause, he remains the foundational composer of Cuban art music.