Kingston, Jamaica, 20 October 2020. As part of the celebration on the Day of Cuban Culture, the collective of the Embassy of Cuba in Jamaica organized some activities to commemorate the date when the Cuban National Anthem was first sung: 20 October, 1868.
On Sunday 18 October in the evening, the Cuban diplomatic mission hosted a special 90-minute programme, subtitled in English, at its Facebook site, conveying a congratulatory message and a performance by Dr. L'Antoinette Staines, artistic director of the company "L'Acadco: A United Caribbean Dance Force". As part of this programme, Damaris Hernández, President of the Association of Cuban Residents in Jamaica recited Raúl Ferrer’s poem "Romance de la Niña Mala"; the song "El Escaramujo", by Silvio Rodríguez, was sung by Embassy’s officials Ricardo and Ulises Calvo; and tributes were paid to Alicia Alonso, Omara Portuondo, Alfredo Sosabravo and Juan Padrón, followed by the projection of the latter’s feature film Elpidio Valdés (1978).
On October 20 in the morning, the collective gathered next to the bust of José Martí that guards the flag of the lone star, to sing our National Anthem just like the people of Bayamo did 152 years ago. The working day ended with the celebration of a recreational activity, where participants staged a knowledge competition about Cuban culture, performed scenes from Cuban cartoons and made a toast on the occasion.