On October 20, 1868, Bayamo experienced a decisive day in Cuban history. Following the entry of Mambí troops into the city, patriot Pedro Figueredo, known as Perucho, presented the lyrics to "La Bayamesa," a patriotic march that would become the National Anthem.

Local residents and independence fighters sang the composition in an atmosphere of patriotic fervor. That event became permanently linked to national identity, and since 1980, October 20 has been celebrated as Cuban Culture Day.

The history of the composition began on August 13, 1867, during a clandestine meeting of the Revolutionary Committee of Bayamo at Figueredo's home. There, committee members suggested creating an anthem that, similar to La Marseillaise, would awaken the fighting spirit of the Cuban people.

Figueredo completed the melody at dawn the following morning and shared it with his comrades that evening, performing it on the piano.

On May 8, 1868, Figueredo requested that musician Manuel Muñoz Cedeño orchestrate the march. The first public performance took place on June 11 of that year at the Major Church of Bayamo during the Corpus Christi celebration.

The performance occurred before Spanish colonial authorities, who noted the martial character of the piece despite its religious setting. The military governor of the area even questioned Muñoz Cedeño and Figueredo regarding music he deemed improper for the ceremony.

Thus, the melody was already familiar when the independence uprising began on October 10, 1868, led by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes at La Demajagua. Ten days later, after the Mambises captured Bayamo, Figueredo unveiled the verses that completed the composition.

While the lyrics may have been conceived or written prior to that day, it was on October 20 that the patriotic anthem was publicly sung for the first time.

Since then, "La Bayamesa" accompanied the independence struggles and consolidated its position as a symbol of the Cuban nation. On August 22, 1980, the Council of Ministers officially designated October 20 as Cuban Culture Day in recognition of the historical significance of an event whose patriotic spirit continues to resonate today.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff