José Martí

Cuban liberal politician, philosopher, journalist, philosopher and poet, creator of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, born January 28, 1853 in La Habana, Cuba. He was killed in a battle against Spanish troops at the Battle of Dos Ríos, near the confluence of the rivers Contramaestre and Cauto, on May 19, 1895. He's often credited for writing the lyrics to "Guantanamera". The lyrics are based on selections from his poetry collection "Versos Sencillos" (Simple Verses).