Cuban trumpeter (Santa Clara, Las Villas province, Cuba, April 4, 1928 - January 6, 2016), he played and recorded with artists such as Beny Moré, Arsenio Rodríguez, Generoso Jiménez, Chico O'Farrill, Orchestra Harlow, Eddie Palmieri, José Fajardo, Tito Puente, César Concepción, Machito, Wynton Marsalis, Marcelino Guerra, Roberto Torres, John Santos, Israel Cachao López, Noro Morales, Johnny Pacheco, SAR All Stars, Zon Del Barrio and many others. He was a member of La Sonora Matancera from 1977 to 1980. Due to his characteristic approach to Cuban trumpet playing as well as his extensive recording career, several monographs have been written on his music.

He first began playing in a band led by the sonero/composer René Álvarez called Conjunto Los Astros and soon after with Arsenio Rodríguez. The nickname Chocolate was bestowed on him owing to a case of mistaken identity, when someone mistook him for Kid Chocolate, the champion boxer.