The bayamese
La Bayamesa (Cuban National Anthem). Its melody and lyrics were composed by Pedro Figueredo (Perucho) and the arrangement for instruments was made by maestro Antonio Luna.
History of n#34;La Bayamesa#34;
It is a combat hymn, born in the heat of the subversive struggle against the power of the metropolis. It calls to defend the Homeland in combat and offer one's life in search of the long-awaited freedom.
The Hymn of Bayamo is the symbol of the Cuban nation, composed by Pedro Figueredo in August 1867. It was originally called La Bayamesa, for having been composed and played for the first time in Bayamo and as a reference to the well-known march The Marseillaise of the French Revolution.
On Thursday, June 11, 1868, in the Iglesia Mayor of Bayamo, during a solemn Te Deum on the occasion of the Corpus Christi festivities and in the presence of high-ranking personalities from the Spanish colonial government and of a large number of local faithful, the notes of this hymn were heard publicly for the first time.
On October 10, 1868, the Ten Years' War began with the Cry of Yara. On October 18, the capture of Bayamo began and at 11 pm on the 20th, the capitulation of the Spanish forces was signed. In honor of this day, on October 20, the Day of National Culture is celebrated in Cuba. With the taking of Bayamo, this hymn became popular and from then on the Cuban people took it as their call to fight in search of the freedom of the homeland.
This war anthem was very important for the revolutionary deeds.
Letter
Cuban National Anthem
In accordance with Article 50 of Law No. 128 of 2019, the official letter is as follows:
In battle run, bayamese,
that the country sees you proud.
Do not fear a glorious death,
That dying for the homeland is living.
In chains living is living
affront and oprobio plunged.
From the clarin, listen to the sound.
To arms, brave, run!
Verses removed
Originally the hymn had six stanzas. The last four stanzas were excluded in 1902. In the first place, because it hurt the pride of the Spanish. In addition, it was not well seen that the lyrics of the anthem of one nation did not respect another. Another important aspect is that it was too long compared to most hymns.
The four stanzas, which followed the previous ones, were:
Don't be afraid; the ferocious cry out
They're cowards like every tyrant
do not resist the Cuban bravo;
His empire fell forever.
Cuba free! Already Spain died,
Your power and your pride is it gone?
From the clarin, listen to the sound.
Get the guns!
Behold our triumphant hosts
behold them fallen,
By cowards they fled:
by courageous, we can succeed!
Cuba free! we can shout!
from the cannon to the dreadful stampede.
From the clarin, listen to the sound,
Get the guns!
Music
Although Perucho Figueredo composed music for the hymn, it was modified over time, often not having the reference of the original score.
This led to the creation of different harmonizations, which differed to a greater or lesser extent from the original. In 1983, the researcher and musicologist Odilio Urfé presented a paper to the National Assembly of Popular Power in which he proposed the current (and definitive) version of the hymn.