hiː stˈʌdid ɪnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts bˌʌt ɪnðə mˈɪd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi z ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tə kjˈuːbə, wˌɛɹ hiː wˈɜːkt æz ɐ mjˈuːzɪk ˈɑːɹkaɪvˌɪst ɪn ɐ tˈɛlᵻvˌɪʒən stˈeɪʃən ænd pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾᵻd ɪn kˈɑːmjuːnˌɪst pˈɑːɹɾi æktˈɪvᵻɾiz.
He studied in the United States but in the mid-1940s returned to Cuba, where he worked as a music archivist in a television station and participated in Communist Party activities.