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Story Behind the Anthem The national anthem of the Dominican Republic, sometimes called Quisqueyanos Valientes, was composed by José Reyes in 1883 after he read a published copy of the Argentine national anthem. He thought his country should also have an anthem, so he asked his friend Emilio Prud’homme to write the lyrics. It was Read More
Story Behind the Anthem The Cuban national anthem was written by Pedro “Perucho” Figueredo, a general in the Ten Year War, in the dawn of August 14, 1867. The music was composed by Manuel Muñoz Cedeño on May 8, 1868. It is known as Himno de Bayamo or La Bayamesa because it was first Read More
Story Behind the Anthem The story of the Costa Rican national anthem is an interesting one. In 1852, the diplomatic representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom were to arrive, and the president of Costa Rica at the time, Juan Rafael Mora Porras, wanted to receive them with the national anthem. However, Costa Read More
Story Behind the Anthem 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, Read More
Story Behind the Anthem The history of Brazil’s national anthem is complex. Before 1831, an anthem celebrating Brazil’s independence had already been created by the first Brazilian emperor, Pedro I. On April 7,1831, Pedro I renounced the throne and left his son, Pedro II, as the five-year-old new emperor. After Pedro I renounced, his anthem Read More
Story Behind the Anthem The Bolivian national anthem was first publicly revealed in the city of La Paz. It was introduced as Canción Patriótica at noon on November 18, 1845, during the celebration of the fourth anniversary of the Battle of Ingavi. Ninety musicians from the military band played the music composed by Leopoldo Benedetto Read More
Story Behind the Anthem Welcome to Story Behind the Anthem, a new series that seeks to appreciate the beauty of one of the most important symbols of a country: the national anthem. Every two weeks, we’ll focus on the music, the lyrics, and the stories of how they came to be, one beloved Latin American Read More