Armando Rodríguez-González

Who was Armando Rodríguez-González?

Armando Rodríguez-González was a Cuban composer and musician.

He was the son of Jose de Jesus Rodriguez-Ferrer and Maria Andrea Gonzalez-Ramos. His uncle, Antonio Rodriguez-Ferrer, was the composer of the musical introductory notes to the Cuban national anthem. On July 4, 1913 he married Isolina Caridad Fontanills-de Ugarte one of the first females to have graduated from a Cuban school in nursing. They had two daughters, Maria del Carmen and Lucia Josefina Rodriguez-Fontanills, in additioned he raised his orphaned niece, Amelia Rogelia Penichet-Rodriguez. His grandson, Clemente G. Gomez-Rodriguez is a writer and well-known attorney. One great-grandson, Alfonso Fraga-Gomez, married the daughter of Raúl Castro and another great-grandson, Alonso R. del Portillo, worked for eight years for Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Rodriguez-Gonzalez played numerous musical instruments and played in various bands and orchestras during his long career. He also composed many pieces of music, such as Aurora and Por Que Te Fuiste. His family at one point owed what is now known as Reparto de Miraflores Viejo and he lived his entire life at Calle Primera #40, esquina J, in Miraflores. He died of cancer in 1965.