Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte was born in Matanzas, Cuba. His mother was a freed Afro-Cuban woman, and his father was a Spanish amateur violinist, composer, and his son’s first teacher. At the age of 19, White Lafitte would give his first public performance alongside the great American pianist, Louis Gottschalk, who was very impressed by his playing! Gottschalk encouraged him to study music in Paris and raised funds on his behalf, and the young violinist was admitted to the Paris Conservatory soon after. He quickly took the European music scene by storm with his virtuosity, winning competitions, and touring throughout Paris, the US, and Latin America.
Although his demanding performance career was the focal point of his life, he still found time to compose great works that are still admired today. White Lafitte’s style of composition contains elements consistent with the early Romantic era, such as the emphasis on emotions and the exploration of national and regional music traditions. In several of his compositions, White Lafitte incorporated elements of Cuban rhythms, dances, and melodies. His most well-known piece, La Bella Cubanera, is considered the most iconic Cuban composition in the classical repertoire.
In his homeland, White Lafitte supported the Cuban independence and abolition movement. During the 1870’s, he performed a series of recitals to financially support the Cuban Liberation Army despite harassment from the Spanish Colonial, and many of his performances were attacked or shut down. The Spanish Government would eventually exile him from Cuba, leading him to move to Brazil for 15 years. Here, he would serve as the court musician of Emperor Pedro II, would establish the Brazilian Classical Concert Society, and would lead an intense performance career before moving back to Paris until his death in 1918.
