Poet. He was a Afro-Argentine folk poet, singer and guitar player. Besides his native land, he was well-known in Uruguay. He had a great talent for improvisation. He composed "Libertador," "Heroica Paysandú," among others. In front of a large audience, his talent was recognized when he placed first in a payador contest, which was held in the city of Paysandú on July 23, 1884. The contest was held to raise funding for flood victims. When his guitar string broke, he improvised to say "just like my heart breaks for the victims." He went on to become one of the greatest payadores in the history of the art form, which became very popular in the last three decades of the 19th century. Only one of his recordings has survived to the 21st century. In 1886 he published a book of his compiled songs, "Cantares Criollos." This was a challenge as he had no real formal education, but relied on other's help. In honor of him and the art form, July 23rd was declared "Payador's Day" throughout the Argentine Republic. Nicknamed "Black Ezeiza," he lived a humble life coming from San Tano, a poverty-affected parish of the city of Bueno Aries that was settled by descendants of slaves. Both his parents had died by the time he was age eleven. He received a Spanish guitar for his 15th birthday. Shortly after that, he began to published verses in the local newspaper. The city of Bueno Aries was in a political turmoil by 1890, and he was jailed that year for a short time for political reasons. In 1893 he participated in an uprising and received medals for his loyalty to Radical Civic Union Party member, Dr. Mariano Candioti and General Frias, who ruled for only two months. In 1912 he successfully participated in an international payadoresque tournament held in a Buenos Aires theater in which the first four prizes were awarded to Curlando, Vieytes, Caggiano, and him. By age 56, he did not travel as much as there was a decline in health but performed at local venues, from which his income suffered. In 1895 he had married and the couple had ten children. Leaving his wife a widow with their youngest child a toddler, his cause of death at age 58 was endocarditis. A memorial plaque was placed on his home at Azul 92, in the Flores neighborhood.