He received his first notion about piano from his father, taking further studies with prestigious teachers, such as Juan Miguel Joval and Nicolás Ruíz Espadero.

In 1865, he entered the Imperial Conservatory from Paris, under the teaching influence of Antoine Francois Marmontel and Charles Alkan, there, he obtained a year later the First Prize in a Piano Contest, followed by the Harmony Prize obtained in 1867 and 1868 evincing his virtuosism and musical adroitness.

At the French capital, he offered concerts and accompained remarkable singers on the piano, among them, we can mention Cristina Nilsson and Adelina Pattin, gaining also the appraisal of such famous musicians as Rossini, Liszt and Gounod.

In 1870, he returned to Havana where he made a noteworthy labor on the artistic and social sphere, getting involved on independentist struggles with violinist José White. This acttitude earned him the his expulsion of the country, then he settled on United States where to continue this labor.

In 1879, he came back to Cuba and retook the artistic labor developed by him interpreting Romantic European authors, he also assumed the direction of orchestras at Payret and Tacón theaters, in addition, he became a notable pedagogue forming pupils like Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes, who was a prominent musician further more.

Cervantes started the creation of his works at early ages. In his repertoire, can be found chamber and symphonic music, zarzuelas and one opera but the most remarkable feature of his work are the dances made for piano having the Cuban essence.

These small pieces made for two or four hands, are characterized by the use of rythmic cells of the Cuban music and they generally present a bitematismo that can define, quickly, two opposite parts. The melodic stream, comes closer to the criolla song being apart from the Italian operatic virtuosity.

It is worthy to mention, the musical contrapunto established between the hands, because the armonic bass that frecuently appears at low register, can be developed as a melody which, in some ocassions, substitutes the superior voice.

Adiós a Cuba (Good-bye to Cuba); Los delirios de Rosita (Rosita's deliriums); Los muñecos (The Puppets); Picotazos (Pecks) and No bailes más (Don't dance anymore), among others, are representative works from the Cuban pianistic repertoire and its significance goes far beyond the musical values implicit on them, they constitute examples of the styling process of elements which is part of our National Identity.


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