He mainly wrote dances (“danzas”) for the piano, using his beloved Chopin and the contredances of Manuel Saumell as models. He was a piano virtuoso, studied in Europe under the great Alkan, met Liszt (who admired his playing) but returned to Havana where he led a modest life, being forced into exile for political activities. This exile led to one of his most beautiful piano compositions, the melancholy “Adios a Cuba” (which hearing a recording of this piece, sparked my interest in this composer).