Which composer wrote the melody of Cuba’s national anthem, “La Bayamesa”?

Perucho Figueredo wrote the melody of Cuba’s national anthem, “La Bayamesa.”

Figueredo was a Cuban musician, lawyer, and revolutionary leader from Bayamo. He composed the melody in 1867, and it was first performed publicly in Bayamo in 1868. The song soon became linked with the beginning of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain.

Figueredo later wrote the lyrics, which call Cubans to battle and emphasize courage, liberty, and resistance. The anthem’s name means “The Bayamo Song,” distinguishing it from other Cuban songs that may also be called “La Bayamesa.”

The composition became the official national anthem after Cuba’s independence. Its revolutionary origins explain why it is often treated not merely as a ceremonial song but as a musical symbol of the Ten Years’ War and the broader Cuban independence movement.