San Juan de Dios square has become an accomplice on several occasions of a date of great importance for the history of Camagüey and Cuba in general, the birth of Ignacio Agramonte y Loynaz. On December 23rd, 1841, one of the most significant heroes of our independence struggles would be born, a name that makes us proud as a demonym to all those born in Camagüey, the Agramontinos.
Through art, honors have been extended to Ignacio Agramonte. In 1977, the Camagüey Ballet under the tutelage of Fernando Alfonso carried out a presentation entitled “Al Mayor”, which reflects the trajectory of an exemplary man-strategist-warrior-politician and the love for his country and Amalia. In cinematography, the most current example is the film “El Mayor” directed by Rigoberto López, most of which was recorded in Camagüey and which also achieves a symbiosis between the personal life of the hero and his work in the struggles for independence.
From the music, specifically from the chords and voice of Silvio Rodríguez, the song “El Mayor” is born, today a hymn, a symbol for all Cubans. As a result of a request from Giraldo Mazola Collazo, first president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP, by its acronym in Spanish), who at that time intervened in the organization of the commemorative act for the centenary of Agramonte’s death, to be held in the aforementioned square, in Camagüey city. It was a happy coincidence, because years ago, the singer-songwriter had felt indebted to the hero: “… I had been thinking for years that he owed him that song.” He felt the figure of Agramonte very close since elementary school thanks to the humanized teaching of the hero.
Such a significant commission led Silvio to study the Ten Years’ War again through many bibliographies. After the work was written, it was recorded with the ICAIC Sound Experimentation Group, who would also accompany him in the act. This is how the musical work was immortalized on December 23rd, 1973. At the time of its premiere, moved, Silvio Rodríguez explained:
I composed this song that I am about to sing to commemorate the centenary of the fall of one of the heroes of our independence, one of the most eminent heroes. He was a very young man when he died, but due to his exceptional talent, both military and political, he became the second in command of the first revolution, the first uprising in arms that took place in Cuba in 1868 against the Spanish colonialism. The song is intended to be a kind of journey through his life, and I can add that his comrades in arms affectionately called him, as the song is called: El Mayor.
On this same date, but in 1991, Silvio returned to Camagüey. In the same space where that night he would premiere his song and an artistic bronze plaque was unveiled with the musical lyrics of his song “El Mayor”. At this time he also granted the status of National Monument to the San Juan de Dios square. This plaque immortalizes a song, a moment, a hero.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
