Oreste Sindici composed the music of Colombia’s national anthem, “Himno Nacional de la República de Colombia.” Rafael Núñez wrote the lyrics, making the anthem a collaboration between a composer and a poet-statesman.
The text began as a patriotic poem by Núñez, who later became president of Colombia. Sindici, an Italian-born musician and teacher, set the poem to music. The song was first performed publicly in Bogotá on 11 November 1887, marking the anniversary of Cartagena’s independence.
Colombia officially adopted the composition as its national anthem in 1920. Its structure includes a chorus followed by eleven verses, although public performances generally use the chorus and selected material rather than every verse.
A frequent mix-up is crediting Núñez with both words and music. Núñez wrote the lyrics, but Sindici composed the melody. José Rozo Contreras later created the orchestration commonly associated with official performances, which is why several names can appear in accounts of the anthem.