He was born in Itabo, a town, in the county of Matanzas, in Cuba. Since 14 years old he has been dedicated to the art of cuisine. The chef Smith Duquesne is an expert in the preparation of dishes based on fish and shellfish. He is also an expert in roasted food and pastries. Smith knows to perfection the secrets of Jewish, Spanish, Chinese and Slavic cuisine.
       He is the longlife president  of the Culinary Association of the Republic of Cuba. He is also   an active member of the Culinary Academy of France, has the gold medal of that organization, and is an honorary member of the Chef´s Association of  Japan. In 1982, the emperor Hirohito conferred on him the special gold medal , one of the most select badges in the empire that until then had not been given to any foreigner. He is also an honorary member of the Chef's World Association, and also the international award Caterina de´ Médici, Doctor Honoris Causa of the superior school of hotel industry and gastronomy of Pozdan, the gold award in the Frankfurt of Meno Olympiad, Germany, and he is an honorary member of the Swiss Culinary Association  , the Croatia Chef's Federation , the Israel Culinary Academy, the South Africa Culinary Federation  , the Italian Cuisine Federation, the Chef´s German Federation, and was selected chef of the millennium in Peru. He is a member of the Latin American Associations among whom number Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Costa Rica. He is also a member of the North America Chef´s Federation, and lifelong president of the Cuban Federation of Culinary Associations, a member of the Spain and France´s White Caps and of the exclusive club ¨La Casserole¨, in Paris. He has given and still gives master classes, numerous courses and conferences in Europe and Japan. He is an invited professor of British Columbia University, in Canada, and an honorary member of the WACS (World Association of Chef Societies).
        He is considered the gastronomic ambassador  of Cuba and the most recognized chef in the Caribbean, he has cooked for president Fidel Castro, for Juan Carlos I, Felipe González, Manuel Fraga, Georges Ponpidou, Gabriel García Márquez, Alejo Carpentier, Brigitte Bardot, Edith Piaf, Jacques Chirac, François Mitterrand, Pierre Trudeau, George Papandreu, Julio Iglesias, Joan Manuel Serrat, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Carlos Saura, Geraldine Chaplin, Paco Rabanne, Salvador Allende, Claudia Cardinales, Romy Schneider, Alicia Alonso and Alain Delon.  Before 1959 he was the chef for Meyer Lansky, lieutenant of Lucky Luciano in Havana and boss of the mafia in Cuba.