List of Cubans

República de Cuba

This is a list of notable and well-known Cubans, ordered alphabetically by first name within each category.

Additional lists

For Cuban-Americans please see List of Cuban Americans

Art and entertainment

Actors

• Ana Margarita Martínez-Casado, actress and singer
• Andy García, actor
• César Évora, actor
• Daisy Fuentes, actress
• Desi Arnaz, actor
• Emiliano Díez, actor
• Enrique Molina, actor
• Faizon Love, actor and comedian
• Francisco Gattorno, actor
• Julio Oscar Mechoso, actor
• Luis Oquendo, actor
• Manela Bustamante, actress
• María Conchita Alonso, actress
• Mario Ernesto Sánchez, actor and founder of Teatro Avante
• Renny Arozarena, actor
• Steven Bauer, actor
• Velia Martínez, actress and singer
• William Levy, actor

Artists, photographers and fashion designers

Main article: List of Cuban artists

Further information: List of Cuban painters

• Agustín Cárdenas, sculptor
• Alberto Korda, photographer
• Alexandre Arrechea, painter, sculptor
• Amelia Peláez, painter
• Carlos Enríquez, painter
• Fidelio Ponce de León, painter
• Humberto Jesús Castro García, painter
• José Bernal, painter
• José Vilalta Saavedra, sculptor
• Juan José Sicre, sculptor
• Juan T. Vázquez Martín, painter
• Mario Perez, painter
• Pedro Álvarez Castelló, painter
• Raúl Corrales, photographer
• Raúl Martínez, pop artist, painter
• Rene Mederos, poster artist and graphic designer
• René Portocarrero, painter
• Tomas Sanchez, painter
• Victor Manuel, painter
• Waldo Diaz-Balart, painter
• Wifredo Lam, painter

Authors and poets

Main article: List of Cuban writers

Further information: Cuban literature

• Antonio Benitez-Rojo author.
• Daína Chaviano, author.
• Carilda Oliver Labra, poet.
• Dulce María Loynaz, author.
• Edmundo Desnoes, author.
• Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, author, poet.
• Gilda Antonia Guillen, writer, poet, political activist.
• Guillermo Cabrera Infante, author.
• Heberto Padilla, poet.
• Héctor Zumbado, writer, journalist, humorist, critic.
• José Ignacio Rivero, author and journalist.
• Antonio Rodríguez Salvador, poet, author
• José Lezama Lima, author, poet.
• José María Heredia y Campuzano, poet.
• José Martí, author, poet, journalist.
• Julián del Casal, 19th century poet.
• Leonardo Padura Fuentes, novelist, journalist.
• Mariano Brull, author.
• Nancy Morejón, author.
• José Gómez-Sicre, art critic and author.
• Nicolás Guillén, poet.
• Norberto Fuentes, author.
• Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, author, poet, painter.
• Pedro Luis Boitel, poet.
• Raúl Rivero, poet and journalist.
• Reinaldo Arenas, author.
• Severo Sarduy, poet.
• Virgilio Piñera, author, playwright, poet, short-story writer and essayist.
• Zoé Valdés, author.

Composers

• Alejandro García Caturla, symphonic composer
• Antonio María Romeu, composer
• Arsenio Rodríguez developer of the rumba
• Didier Hernández, singer composer
• Ernesto Lecuona, often regarded as the greatest Cuban composer
• Esteban Salas y Castro, 18th century Cuban baroque composer
• Gonzalo Roig, often regarded as one of the greatest composers of Cuba, "Quiere me mucho"/ Cecilia Valdez
• Ignacio Cervantes, Chopinesque piano composer
• José White Lafitte, violinist and composer
• Leo Brouwer, guitarist and composer
• Yalil Guerra, composer
• Amadeo Roldán, composer and violinist
• Dámaso Pérez Prado, developer of the mambo
• Armando Rodriguez-Gonzalez, composer
• Antonio Rodríguez Ferrer, composer
• René Touzet, composer, bandleader and pianist

Musicians

• Aida Diestro, pianist, arranger
• Albita, singer
• Alfredo de la Fé, musician
• Adalberto Álvarez, pianist, director, composer
• Ana Cristina, singer, actress, composer
• Ángel Reyes, violinist
• Armando Peraza, percussionist
• Arturo Sandoval, trumpeter
• Arsenio Rodríguez, composer
• Benny Moré, singer, songwriter, conductor, arranger
• Bola de Nieve, singer, pianist
• Cándido Fabré, musician, songwriter, singer
• Carlos Manuel Pruneda, singer
• Carlos Varela, singer, songwriter
• Celia Cruz, singer
• Celina González, singer-songwriter
• Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, pianist, musician
• Christina Milian, singer
• Chucho Valdés, pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger.
• Compay Segundo, musician, songwriter
• Conchita Espinosa, pianist, teacher
• Cuban Link, rapper
• Cubanito 20.02, hip-hop band
• Daniel René, singer, songwriter, producer
• Dave Lombardo, drummer
• David Calzado, musician
• Didier Hernández, singer, songwriter
• Don Dinero, rapper
• Elena Burke, singer
• El Medico, timba musician
• Eliades Ochoa, guitarist and singer
• Emilio Estefan producer, composer
• Ernesto Lecuona, pianist, composer
• Esther Borja, singer
• Eusebio Delfín, singer
• Francisco Aguabella, percussionist
• German Nogueira Gomez, songwriter, composer, producer
• Gloria Estefan, singer, composer
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba, pianist
• Guillermo Portabales, singer, songwriter
• Horacio Gutiérrez, concert pianist
• Hubert de Blanck, pianist, composer
• Ignacio Piñeiro, composer
• Ibrahim Ferrer, musician
• Issac Delgado, singer
• Jorge Bolet, concert pianist
• Juan Croucier, bassist
• Juan Formell, composer
• Juan de Marcos González, musician
• La Lupe, singer
• Lena, singer
• Lissette, singer
• Malena Burke, singer
• Manuel Barrueco, classical guitarist
• María Teresa Vera, composer, guitarist, singer
• Mayra Verónica, singer
• Miguel Matamoros, singer, composer
• Moisés Valle, musician
• Moisés Simons, composer
• Mongo Santamaría, jazz musician
• Moraima Secada, singer
• Nelson Martinez, baritone
• Ñico Saquito, composer, singer
• Olga Guillot, singer
• Omara Portuondo, singer
• Orlando "Cachaito" López, bassist
• Pablo Milanés, singer, songwriter
• Pío Leyva, singer
• Pitbull, rapper
• Raul Paz, singer
• Rey Ruiz, singer
• Rita Montaner, singer
• Roberto Faz, singer, conductor
• Rubén González, pianist
• Rudy Sarzo, rock bassist
• Sen Dog, rapper
• Silvio Rodríguez, singer, songwriter
• Tico Torres, drummer, percussionist
• Willy Chirino, singer, songwriter
• Voltaire (musician), musician
• Xavier Cugat, musician
• Yalil Guerra, producer, musician, composer
• Yotuel Romero, rapper
• Harold Lopez Nussa, jazz pianist

Film directors

Further information: Cinema of Cuba

• Fernando Pérez
• Humberto Padrón
• Jorge Luis Sánchez
• Juan Carlos Cremata
• Juan Padrón
• Miguel Coyula
• Rodrigo García
• Santiago Álvarez
• Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
• Will Vazquez

Journalists

• Oscar Espinosa Chepe
• Nicolás Guillén
• Raúl Rivero
• Pablo de la Torriente Brau
• German Pinelli
• Rick Sanchez
• Héctor Zumbado, writer, journalist, humorist, and critic.

Dancers

• Alicia Alonso, Prima Ballerina Assoluta, director of the Cuban National Ballet (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)
• Carlos Acosta, dancer
• Fernando Bujones, dancer
• Jose Manuel Carreño - American Ballet Theater principal dancer
• Lydia Diaz Cruz, prima ballerina
• Miguel Campaneria, ballet dancer, currently artistic director of the National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico
• Vida Guerra, video dancer
• Yat-Sen Chang, principal dancer, English National Ballet

Other entertainment

• Alvarez Guedes, comedian and author
• Ana María Polo, television personality and lawyer
• A Pair of Nuts: The Comedy Duo comedians and actors
• Cachita, television personality
• Cristina Saralegui, magazine editor, talk show host (Cristina) and actress
• Vida Guerra, model/actress
• Lili Estefan, television personality and former model
• Martita, television personality
• Mauricio Zeilic, television personality
• Mayra Verónica, model
• Nelson Ascencio, comedian (Madtv)
• Pedro Zamora, AIDS activist, featured on The Real World: San Francisco
• Raúl De Molina, television personality
• Raúl Musibay, Food Network chef and author
• Rosaura Andreu, children's television entertainer
• Sissi, model

Sport

Baseball

• Adolfo Luque, Cincinnati Reds
• Alex Fernandez, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins
• Alex Sánchez
• Ariel Pestano, Cuba national baseball team
• Ariel Prieto, Oakland Athletics
• Aurelio Monteagudo, Kansas City Athletics
• Barbaro Canizares, Atlanta Braves
• Barbaro Garbey, Detroit Tigers
• Bert Campaneris, Kansas City Athletics
• Brayan Peña, Atlanta Braves
• Cristóbal Torriente, Negro Leagues - Baseball Hall of Fame
• Danys Báez, Baltimore Orioles
• 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
• 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 Rodríguez, New York Giants
• José Tartabull, Kansas City Athletics
• Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels
• Liván Hernández, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Luis Tiant, Cleveland Indians
• Martín Dihigo, Negro Leagues - Baseball Hall of Fame
• Mike Cuellar, Cincinnati Reds
• Minnie Miñoso, Chicago White Sox
• Octavio "Cookie" Rojas, Cincinnati Reds
• Omar Linares, Pinar del Río Vegueros, Cuban national baseball team
• Orestes Destrade, New York Yankees, ESPN on-air personality
• Orlando Hernández, New York Mets
• Ozzie Canseco, Oakland Athletics
• Pedro Ramos, Washington Senators
• Preston Gómez, Washington Senators
• Rafael Palmeiro, Baltimore Orioles
• Ray Noble, New York Giants
• René Arocha, St. Louis Cardinals
• René Monteagudo, Washington Senators
• Rey Ordóñez, New York Mets
• Roberto "Bobby" Estalella, Washington Senators
• Rolando Arrojo, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• Sandy Amorós, Brooklyn Dodgers
• Tony Fossas, Texas Rangers
• Tony González, Cincinnati Reds
• Tony Oliva, Minnesota Twins
• Tony Pérez, Cincinnati Reds
• Tony Taylor, Chicago Cubs
• Yuniesky Betancourt, Kansas City Royals
• Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota Twins, first Latin American Major League MVP in 1965.
• Alexei Ramírez, Chicago White Sox
• Yunel Escobar, Atlanta Braves

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 boxer
• Florentino Fernández, boxer
• Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz, amateur boxer
• Joel Casamayor, boxer
• Jorge Rubio, boxing trainer
• José Nápoles, boxer
• Kid Charol, boxer
• Kid Chocolate, boxer
• Kid Gavilan, boxer
• Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros olympic welterweight boxer
• Luis Manuel Rodríguez, boxer
• Mario César Kindelán Mesa, Olympic gold medal winning boxer
• Raúl González, boxer
• Roberto Balado, Olympic Super Heavyweight boxer
• Sugar Ramos, world champion boxer
• Teófilo Stevenson, amateur boxer
• Yan Bartelemí Light Flyweight gold gold medal winning boxer
• Yanqui Díaz, boxer
• Yudel Johnson Cedeno Light-Welterweight Olympic Boxer
• Yuriorkis Gamboa Flyweight olympic gold medal winning boxer

Athletes

• Alberto Juantorena, track
• Aliecer Urrutia, triple jump
• Ana Fidelia Quirot 800m
• Anier García, hurdler
• Dayron Robles, hurdling athlete
• Emeterio González, javelin thrower.
• Héctor 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
• Lázaro Martínez, sprinter
• Luis Alberto Pérez-Rionda, sprinter
• Osleidys Menéndez, javelin
• Roberto Hernández (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

Swimming

• Joel Armas, record holder in the US in monofin swimming
• Neisser Bent, bronze medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Rodolfo Falcón, silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Leonel "Bebito" Smith, gold medalist in the 1926 and 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games

Other

• Deborah Andollo, Holds world-records in Free Diving.
• Alberto Delgado, soccer
• Ivan Dominguez, two time gold medalist in the Pan American Games and Cuban national champion in cycling
• José Raúl Capablanca, chess world champion, grandmaster considered "the Mozart of Chess"
• Héctor Socorro, footballer
• Ibrahim Rojas, flatwater canoer
• Juan Corzo, chess
• Juan Tuñas, former Cuban footballer
• Lázaro Bruzón, chess grandmaster
• Rafael A. Lecuona, gymnast
• Rey Ángel Martínez, soccer
• Tomás Fernández, footballer in the 1938 world cup
• Yanelis Yuliet Labrada Diaz, Olympic silver medallist in Taekwondo
• Maykel Galindo, soccer
• Jorge Sánchez Salgado, volleyball player

Politics

Poet and writer, José Martí.

Current

• Abelardo Colomé Ibarra vice president of the Council of State of Cuba
• Alfonso Fraga-Perez, diplomat, Secretary General of the Organization of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America (OSPAAAL), former Head of Cuban Interests Section
• Carlos Lage Dávila former executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba
• Felipe Pérez Roque former Cuban government minister
• Fidel Castro, previous 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 Raúl Castro
• Oscar Elías Biscet, physician and dissident and founder of the Lawton Foundation, currently jailed.
• Oswaldo Payá, Founder of Proyecto Varela.
• Raúl Castro, current President of the Council of State of Cuba
• Liaena Hernandez Martínez, youngest member of the Cuban National Assembly
• Roberto Fernández Retamar President of the Casa de las Américas
• Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada President of the Cuban National Assembly
• Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín former Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment.

Historical

• Abel Santamaría Cuban Revolutionary
• Alcibiades Hidalgo former ambassador to the U.N.
• Ana Betancourt first to campaign for equal rights for Cuban women, in 1868 during the Ten Years' War
• Andrés Rivero Agüero, Cuba's prime minister from March 1957 to March 1958
• Anselmo Alliegro, Acting President of Cuba for one day (1–2 January 1959) after the departure of General Fulgencio Batista from the country.
• Antonio Guiteras, politician and revolutionary.
• Antonio Maceo, revolutionary, military strategist
• 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.
• Fabio Grobart, Communist leader.
• 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
• José Martí, Poet, Philosopher, Politician, Writer, Revolutionary
• 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 presidency of Batista
• Ramón Grau, Cuban president for two terms 1933, 1940-44.
• Saturnino and Mariano Lora Brothers and 19th century revolutionaries
• Vilma Espín Guillois, President of the Cuban Federation of Women, wife of Raúl Castro.
• Virgilio Paz Romero, anti Castro paramilitary

Religion

• Alfredo Llaguno-Canals - former Auxiliary Bishop of Havana
• Miguel A. De La Torre, prolific author on Hispanic religiosity
• Agustin Roman - retired Auxiliary Bishop of Miami
• Braulio Orue-Vivanco - former Bishop of Pinar del Río
• Eduardo Tomas Boza-Masvidal - former Auxiliary Bishop of Havana
• Félix Varela, beatified priest, candidate for sainthood
• Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Cardinal Archbishop of Havana
• Meyer Rosenbaum, former Rabbi and spiritual leader in Havana

Royalty and nobility

• Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
• Edelmira Ignacia Adriana Sampedro-Robato, Countess of Covadonga, first wife of Alfonso Prince of Asturias
• Marta Ester Rocafort-Altazarra, second wife of Alfonso Prince of Asturias

Military

• Adolfo Fernández Cavada, Captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War who later served as Commander-in-Chief of the Cinco Villas during Cuba's Ten Year War.
• 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, Cuban General
• Calixto García, Cuban soldier in the Ten Years' War
• Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cuban General in the war of independence against the Spanish
• Emilio Mola Vidal (June 9, 1887 – June 3, 1937) was a Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). He is best known for coining the phrase "fifth column."
• Federico Fernández Cavada, Colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War and later Commander-in-Chief of all the Cuban forces during Cuba's Ten Year War.
• Jesús 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
• Julius Peter Garesché, Lieutenant Colonel in the Union Army who served as Chief of Staff, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans.
• Lola Sánchez, Confederate spy during the American Civil War. She played an instrumental role in the Confederate victory in the "Battle of Horse Landing".
• Loreta Janeta Velazquez a.k.a. "Lieutenant Harry Buford", Velazquez was a Cuban born woman who masqueraded as a male Confederate soldier during the Civil War.
• 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

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.
• Luis Alvarez, winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physics, worked on the Manhattan Project
• Juan Gundlach, 19th century naturalist and taxonomist.

Other categories

• Sebastian Arcos Bergnes Human rights activist
• Ramón Castro, older brother of Fidel and Raúl Castro
• Mirta Diaz-Balart, Fidel Castro's first wife
• Delfín Fernández, High ranking in government, defected to Spain
• Gregorio Fuentes, Cuban nautical captain
• Elián González, boy who came to the US, leading to a custody battle between his American family and his father in Cuba
• Jose Miguel Battle, Sr. Former Godfather of the Cuban Mafia
• Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, educator and college president
• Ignacio José Urrutia, Historian born in 1730
• Nitza Villapol, Cuban chef

Non-resident Cubans

• List of Cuban-Americans
• List of Cuban-Mexicans
• Dane Bowers
• Guillermo Cabrera Infante
• Yat-Sen Chang
• Sienna Guillory
• William Montagu Iznaga
• Maria Consuelo Iznaga Clemens
• Taismary Agüero
• Mirka Francia
• Libania Grenot
• Magdelín Martínez
• Alex Cabrera
• Majandra Delfino
• Marieh Delfino
• Viviana Gibelli
• Arturo Miranda
• Eduardo Sebrango
• Bárbara Bermudo
• Mike Lowell
• Carlos Ponce
• Rita Marley
• Ziggy Marley
• Lenny Martinez
• Mariane Pearl
• Oscar Isaac

See also

• List of people by nationality