René Alejandro Hernández Junco, born on January 21, 1916, in Las Cruces-Las Villas, Cuba, was a renowned Cuban pianist and arranger who significantly contributed to the development of big-band mambo and Afro-Cuban jazz in the United States. His early musical journey began in the mid-1930s with the local orchestra Jakiki, where he met Generoso Jiménez. Hernández later joined Carmen Arellano's orchestra, eventually taking over its direction and making a name for himself as a performer of danzónes.

Alongside his brother Raúl, René joined Orquesta Cienfuegos, a prominent tipico jazz band in Cuba, and performed with several other notable orchestras in Havana, including the Siglo XX Orchestra and the Orquesta Hermanos Palau. In 1940, he became a part of Julio Cueva's orchestra, where he crafted numerous arrangements until being succeeded by Damaso Pérez Prado.

After a period as a pianist at Bebo Valdés' Casino de la Playa, Hernández moved to the United States in 1945. There, he became a pivotal figure in Machito’s Afro-Cubans from 1946 to 1964, arranging music for top orchestras and artists such as La Lupe, Vicentico Valdés, Celia Cruz, and Daniel Santos. His work was instrumental in introducing the mambo to Machito's band, influencing the Afro-Cuban jazz scene alongside luminaries like Mario Bauzá and Chano Pozo.

In 1966, Hernández joined Tito Rodriguez’s orchestra, which led him to Puerto Rico, where he settled and continued his career as an arranger for Eddie Palmieri and performed with various orchestras, including Miguelito Miranda's at the Hilton Hotel. René Hernández passed away on September 5, 1977, leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in the evolution of Latin music in the 20th century.