The tolling of La Demajagua bell, on October 10th, 1868, marked the beginning the Cuban Revolution. Only ten days later, on October 20th, and as an expression of the revolutionary nature of the emerging feat, all Cubans were called to fight and the national feeling was appealed  through the hymn of war and victory, which, copied from hand to hand, was sang for all who were present at that magnificent moment.

After La Demajagua, Cubans of all social classes were able to find a common cause under the motto of unity, freedom, justice and equality: black and white, free and slave, they marked the path of the independence fight.

For the identity

Cuban Culture Day is celebrated every October 20th, being considered an event that definitely marks the birth of our rebellious nation and its identity.

The date was instituted to commemorate one of the most important events that the country’s history treasures, the intonation for the first time of the Cuban National Anthem, La Bayamesa, as it was called by the people when mambi troops under the command of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, liberated the city of Bayamo.

Perucho Figueredo, on the saddle of his horse, wrote the lyrics of the Bayamo Hymn amid the hubbub due to the take of the city by the Mambi troops. City that later preferred to burn before falling back into the hands of the enemy.

October is full of national ephemeris and the Office of the Historian of Camagüey City, due to the proximity of both dates, is ready to honor and remember them: since the 10th marked the path to freedom and on the 20th that call was sung out loud to conquer it.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García