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This is a list of notable and well-known Cubans, ordered alphabetically by first name within each category. For Cuban-Americans please see List of Cuban Americans
[edit] Art and entertainment
[edit] Actors
[edit] Artists, Photographers and Fashion Designers
- Further information: Cuban Art
- Agustin Cárdenas, sculptor
- Alberto Korda, photographer famous for his photo of Che Guevara.
- Amelia Peláez, painter - Born Yaguajay, Cuba, 1896. Died Havana, 1968
- Carlos Enriquez, painter - Born Zulueta, Cuba 1900. Died Havana, 1957
- David Martinez Delgado, painter.
- José Vilalta Saavedra, sculptor
- Pedro Álvarez Castelló, painter
- Raúl Corrales, photographer
- Raúl Martínez, pop artist.
- Rene Mederos, poster artist and graphic designer.
- Wifredo Lam, painter - Born Sagua la Grande, 1902; Died Paris, France 1982
[edit] Authors and Poets
- Further information: Literature in Cuba
- Alejo Carpentier, author.
- Antonio Benitez-Rojo author.
- Daína Chaviano, author.
- Dulce María Loynaz, author.
- Edmundo Desnoes, author.
- Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, author and poet.
- Guillermo Cabrera Infante, author.
- Heberto Padilla, poet.
- José Ignacio Rivero, author and journalist.
- José Lezama Lima, author and poet.
- José María Heredia y Campuzano, poet.
- José Martí, author, poet and journalist.
- Julián del Casal, 19th century poet.
- Mariano Brull, author.
- Nancy Morejón, author.
- Nicolás Guillén, poet.
- Norberto Fuentes, author.
- Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, author, poet and painter.
- Pedro Luis Boitel
- Raúl Rivero, poet and journalist.
- Reinaldo Arenas, author
- Virgilio Piñera, author, playwright, poet, short-story writer and essayist.
[edit] Composers
[edit] Musicians
- Addys D'Mercedes, Europe based Cuban singer-songwriter
- Albita, Grammy-winning singer
- Alfredo de la Fe, musician
- Adalberto Álvarez, pianist, director and composer
- Ángel Reyes, violinist
- Beny Moré, musician
- Cándido Fabré, musician, song writer, and singer
- Chucho Valdés
- Compay Segundo, musician and songwriter
- El Medico, timba musician
- Eliades Ochoa, guitarist and singer
- Ernesto Lecuona, pianist.
- Gonzalo Rubalcaba, pianist.
- Guillermo Portabales, singer, songwriter
- Horacio Gutierrez, concert pianist
- Hubert de Blanck, pianist.
- Ibrahim Ferrer, musician
- Ignacio Piñeiro, Son musician
- Juan Formell, leader of Los Van Van
- Jorge Bolet, concert pianist
- La Lupe, singer
- Lena, singer
- Moisés Valle, leader of the band Yumurí y sus Hermanos
- Mongo Santamaria, jazz musician
- Orlando "Cachaito" López, Cuban bassist
- Pablo Milanes, singer and songwriter
- Pío Leyva, singer.
- Roberto Faz, singer and conductor
- Rubén González, pianist.
- Santiago Rodriguez, award-winning classical pianist
- Silvio Rodriguez, singer and songwriter
- Xavier Cugat, musician
- Willy Chirino, singer
- Yamila Guerra, singer, actress and TV host
- Yalil Guerra, producer, musician and composer
- Yotuel Romero, rapper
[edit] Film directors
- Further information: Cinema of Cuba
[edit] Journalists
[edit] Dancers
[edit] Other entertainment
- Alvarez Guedes, comedian and author
- Cachita, transsexual television actress
- Carlos Leon, former boyfriend of Madonna
- Carlos Manuel Pruneda, singer
- Carlos Varela, singer and songwriter
- Celia Cruz, multiple Grammy-winning singer
- Celina González, singer-songwriter
- Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, pianist, musician
- Cristina Saralegui, magazine editor, talk show host (Cristina) and actress
- Cuban Link, rapper, former member of the Terror Squad
- Don Dinero, rapper
- Lissette, television personality
- Manela Bustamante, actress
- María Antonieta Pons, actress
- Maria Conchita Alonso, actress (Desperate Housewives)
- Martita, television personality
- Mauricio Zeilic, television personality
- Mayra Veronica, model
- Mellow Man Ace, rapper, brother of Cypress Hill member Sen Dog
- Nelson Ascencio, comedian (Madtv)
- Nelson Martinez, baritone
- Odalys Garcia, singer, model and television personality
- Olga Guillot, singer
- Raul De Molina, co-host of Univision's El Gordo y la Flaca
- Raul Musibay, Food Network chef and author
- Rey Ruiz, singer
- Rosaura Andreu, children's television entertainer
- Rudy Sarzo, Rock Bassist (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio)
- Sen Dog, Cuban rapper member of (Cypress Hill)
- Sissi, model
[edit] 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 gold medal winning boxer
- Florentino Fernandez, boxer
- Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz, amateur boxer
- Joel Casamayor, boxer
- Jorge Rubio, Boxing trainer.
- José Napoles, boxer
- Kid Charol, Boxer
- Kid Chocolate, boxer
- Kid Gavilan, boxer
- Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros Olympic welterweight boxer
- Luis Manuel Rodriguez, boxer
- Mario César Kindelán Mesa, Olympic gold medal winning boxer
- Raúl González, boxer
- Roberto Balado, Olympic Super Heavyweight boxer
- Sugar Ramos, world champion boxer
- Teofilo Stevenson, amateur boxer
- Yanqui Diaz, boxer
- Yudel Johnson Cedeno Light-Welterweight Olympic Boxer
[edit] Athletics
- Alberto Juantorena, basketball, track
- Aliecer Urrutia, triple jump
- Ana Fidelia Quirot 800m
- Dayron Robles, Hurdling athlete
- Emeterio González, javelin thrower.
- Hector 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
- Lazaro Martínez, sprinter
- Luis Alberto Pérez-Rionda, sprinter
- Osleidys Menéndez, javelin
- Roberto Hernández (track athlete)
- Roberto Moya, discus throw
- Víctor Moya, high jumper
- Yargelis Savigne, jump
- 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
- Adolfo Luque, Cincinnati Reds
- Alberto Delgado, soccer
- Alex Sánchez, Baseball Free Agent
- Ariel Pestano, Cuban Baseball Player
- Ariel Prieto, Oakland Athletics
- Aurelio Monteagudo, Kansas City Athletics
- Barbaro Garbey, Detroit Tigers
- Bert Campaneris, Kansas City Athletics
- Brayan Peña, Atlanta Braves
- José Raúl Capablanca, chess world champion, grandmaster considered "the Mozart of Chess"
- Cristóbal Torriente, Negro Leagues - Baseball Hall of Fame
- Danys Báez, Cleveland Indians
- Diego Seguí, Kansas City Athletics
- 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
- Héctor Socorro, footballer
- Ibrahim Rojas, flatwater canoer
- Jack Calvo, Washington Senators
- José Canseco, Oakland Athletics
- José Cardenal, San Francisco Giants
- José Contreras, Chicago White Sox
- José Méndez, Kansas City Monarchs - Baseball Hall of Fame
- José Tartabull, Kansas City Athletics
- Juan Corzo, chess
- Juan Tuñas, former Cuban footballer
- Kendry Morales
- Lázaro Bruzón, chess grandmaster
- Livan Hernandez, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Luis Tiant, Cleveland Indians
- Martín Dihigo, Negro Leagues - Baseball Hall of Fame
- Mike Cuellar, Cincinnati Reds
- Minnie Miñoso, Chicago White Sox - Baseball Legend
- Octavio “Cookie” Rojas, Cincinnati Reds
- Omar Linares, Pinar del Río Vegueros, Cuban national baseball team
- Orestes Destrade, New York Yankees
- Orlando Hernández, New York Mets
- Ozzie Canseco, Oakland Athletics
- Pedro Ramos, Washington Senators
- Preston Gómez, Washington Senators
- Rafael A. Lecuona, Gymnast
- Rafael Palmeiro, Baltimore Orioles
- Ray Noble, New York Giants
- René Arocha, St. Louis Cardinals
- René Monteagudo, Washington Senators
- Rey Ángel Martínez, soccer
- Rey Ordóñez, Baseball Free Agent
- Roberto "Bobby" Estalella, Washington Senators
- Rodolfo Falcon, swimmer
- Rolando Arrojo, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Sandy Amorós, Brooklyn Dodgers
- Tomás Fernández, footballer in the 1938 world cup
- Tony Fossas, Texas Rangers
- Tony González, Cincinnati Reds
- Tony Oliva, Minnesota Twins
- Tony Pérez, Cincinnati Reds
- Tony Taylor, Chicago Cubs
- Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Olymipic silver medallist in Taekwondo
- Yuniesky Betancourt, Seattle Mariners
- Zoilo Versalles, baseball player and first Latin American major league MVP 1965
[edit] Politics
[edit] Current
- Abelardo Colomé Ibarra vice president of the Council of State of Cuba
- Carlos Lage Dávila executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba
- Felipe Pérez Roque Cuban government minister
- Fidel Castro, current Cuban President
- 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 Raul Castro
- Oscar Elías Biscet, physician and dissident and founder of the Lawton Foundation, currently jailed.
- Oswaldo Payá, Founder of Proyecto Varela.
- Raúl Castro, current Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba
- Roberto Fernández Retamar President of the Casa de las Américas
- Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada President of the Cuban National Assembly
- Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment.
- Vilma Espín Guillois President of the Cuban Federation of Women, wife of Raúl Castro.
[edit] Historical
- Abel Santamaría Cuban Revolutionary
- Alcibiades Hidalgo former ambassador to the U.N.
- Andrés Rivero Agüero, Cuba's prime minister from March 1957 to March 1958
- Anselmo Alliegro, Acting President of Cuba for one day (1 January - 2 January 1959) after the departure of General Fulgencio Batista from the country.
- Antonio Guiteras, politician and revolutionary.
- Armando Hart Dávalos politician and Communist leader.
- Camilo Cienfuegos Cuban Revolutionary.
- Carlos Hevia, provisional president of Cuba 1934.
- Carlos Manuel Piedra Acting President of Cuba for one day (2 January 1959) after the departure of General Fulgencio Batista from the country.
- Carlos Prio Socarras, former President of Cuba.
- Celia Sánchez Cuban Revolutionary and Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
- 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.
- 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
- José Miró Cardona, President of Cuba in 1959
- 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
- 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.
- Rafael Diaz-Balart, Cuban politician and majority leader during precidency of Batista
- Ramón Grau, Cuban president for two terms 1933, 1940-44.
- Saturnino and Mariano Lora Brothers and 19th century revolutionaries
- Virgilio Paz Romero, anti Castro paramilitary
[edit] Religion
[edit] Royalty
[edit] Military
- Alberto Bayo y Giroud, a 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
- Calixto García, Cuban soldier in the Ten Years' War
- Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cuban General in the war of independence against the Spanish
- Jesus 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
- 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
[edit] Science
- 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
- Carlos Juan Finlay, epidemiologist, proposed the mode of transmission of yellow fever and was instrumental in assisting Walter Reed with his studies in Cuba
- Celia Hart, Cuban physicist
- Felipe Poey, zoologist
- Hilda Molina, former chief neuro-surgeon in Cuba.
- José López Falcón, Cosmonaut and Pilot for the Cuban air force
- Luis Alvarez, winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physics, worked on the Manhattan Project
- Juan Gundlach, 19th century naturalist and taxonomist.
[edit] Other Categories
[edit] See also