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Story Behind the Anthem: Colombia

Story Behind the Anthem

Colombian flag

The National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia, or as it is sometimes called “O gloria inmarcesible” (Oh Unfading Glory!), was written by Rafael Núñez, a former president of Colombia who served four terms. He wrote the lyrics as a poem to honor the independence of Cartagena. An actor from Bogotá, José Domingo Torres, asked his friend, Oreste Sindici, an Italian opera singer, to compose music for this poem. The anthem was first sung on November 11th 1887 in a small music hall at the school where Sindici taught, and presented publicly a month later on December 6.

The anthem became official on October 28, 1920. In 1995, it became mandatory for all radio and television broadcasts in the country to play the anthem every day at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Although there are 11 verses in the national anthem, only the chorus and the first verse are usually sung.  The video of the anthem below includes the first and second verse.

About Cindy Tovar

Born in Flushing, Queens to Colombian parents, Cindy has always loved reading and writing. For this reason, she entered Montclair State University to pursue an English degree, but instead fell in love with and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. During her time at Montclair State, Cindy joined the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) on campus. She immediately felt comfortable surrounded by peers that shared both love and pride for the Latino culture, something she had never experienced before. She ultimately became president of LASO. Since then, Cindy has earned her M.S. Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street College, and works as a bilingual Special Education preschool teacher in Brooklyn. Despite feeling exhausted by the time she reaches her New Jersey home, she still uses her spare time to write. Joining the Being Latino family is one of the best things that has happened to Cindy because it fulfills her in two ways: She can write to her heart’s content while reaching an engaging audience, and it helps her stay connected to her Latino culture. You can find more of Cindy’s writing on her personal blogs: Dagny’s Dichotomy, and Cindy’s Chronicles.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.

Comments

  1. mi paiz!

  2. I love u COLOMBIA.. Mi tierra querida :)

  3. Annie Paul says:

    El mejor del mundo! Thnx BL!!

  4. Extraño a mi Colombia linda y querida ??

  5. Suilma Rivas says:

    nice!

  6. LC Macabre says:

    raphael nunez

  7. LC Macabre says:

    Assuming you asked who was behind the anthem.

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