 October
20 was established in Cuba as ‘’Day of Cuban Culture’’,
honoring the memorable October 20, 1868, when the mambí troops
under the leadership of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes set free Bayamo
city and people sang for the first time our National
Hymn, La
Bayamesa.
The Cuban
National Hymn history can be traced around August 13, 1867,
when the Bayamo’s Revolutionay Committee met at the lawyer
Pedro Perucho Figueredo`s house, to elaborate the plans necessary
to unchain the Cuban independentist movement. There, Figueredo was
encouraged to compose ‘’Our Marsellesa’’.
At very early hours of that August 14, this Bayamo-born revolutionary
was writing the melody that later became our National
Hymn. It was called La
Bayamesa as expression of its revolutionary character, revering
also the place serving as cradle for the national rebellion. (*)
By May 8, 1868, Figueredo asked musician Manuel Muñoz Cedeño
for the orchestration of this march, epic song differing from those
hymns with sacred tones, hymn of war and victory which should call
everyone to struggle and elevate their love for homeland. On June
11, 1868, Figueredo managed to present this hymn at the Iglesia
Mayor de Bayamo. Figueredo added it lyrics fourteen months after
the creation of its melody.
October 10 of 1868 witnessed the beginnings the Revolution and
ten days after, on October 18, 1868, the conquest of Bayamo by the
Liberating Army from the Cuban Republic in Arms, started, and on
October 20, Bayamo was in hands of the insurgent forces. In the
middle of the rebellious troops` joy and bustle, mixed with the
euphoric multitude, together with Carlos Manuel de Cespedes and
other patriots, Carlos Manuel took a piece of paper and a pen from
his pocket and crossing a leg over his mount, wrote the lyric, which
was later on reproduced from hand to hand and sung for the first
time by everybody there.
Since then, this hymn presided each independent movement , remaining
until our days as expression of our people`s patriotic character.
Spaniards signed the capitulation around the 11 hours of that night.
Among the joy for the victory and the permanent hum of the hymn
by the multitude, Figueredo formed the verses for the already-known
melody and spread it over the public who sang it full of excitement.
The National
Hymn of Cuba emerged then, at the third time of being heard.
(*) This was the ‘’second bayamesa’’ ,
another two themes on this name were registered. See
The Three Bayamesas in Newsletter soycubano.com, Edition 12.
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