Cubans celebrate every year, on October 20, the National Culture Day. This date was chosen because on this day in 1868 the Cuban patriot and musician Perucho Figueredo released “La Bayamesa”, a musical work he composed to call the people of Bayamo to combat. That October 20, 1868, the people of Bayamo sang for the first time the notes of our National Anthem, anthem that accompanied our mambises in the independence struggle and from that day to date Cubans sing with respect and dignity in every act and occasion of solemnity that deserves it.
Commemorating this date is a celebration that invites us to reflect on the richness and diversity of our national identity and marks a special moment to pay tribute to the traditions, arts and expressions that have forged our history and the Cuban cultural heritage, which contains the influence and syncretism of a whole cultural bitterness that gave birth to the Cuban nation. Don Fernando Ortiz, ethnologist, anthropologist and great scholar of the Afro-Cuban historical and cultural roots defined the Cuban culture as a rich ajiaco where African, Spanish and indigenous influences merge and intermingle, all of them traditions that are manifested in various artistic forms, such as music, dance, painting and literature, just to mention a few in which elements of our national identity are reflected.
Cuban culture is a melting pot of influences, hence the richness of its diversity. From music and dance to literature, theater, plastic and visual arts, each cultural manifestation reflects the history and resilience of our people, which contributes to the social cohesion and sense of belonging of the Cuban people. Cubanness goes beyond the primary and strict sense of being born in Cuba.
In the contemporary context, where cultural expressions are essential for the resistance and continuity of our social development, this day highlights the fundamental role that Culture plays in the daily life of Cubans.
Dedicating a day each year to this celebration not only honors the past, but also promotes a future where art and creativity continue to be driving forces for the transformation and development of our society and the unity of our people in the defense of our cultural identity.
From the music that resonates in every corner of our green cayman, to the literature that has captured the soul of our people, taught them to think and made them more cultured, Cuban culture is a living legacy that unites us and makes us increasingly free. It is a reminder that has allowed the creativity of Cubans to develop, as a resource of resistance, continuity and defense of our national sovereignty.
October 20th evokes the clamor of struggle, the taste of victory, the spirit of independence of an entire people and it is a date to exalt and remember the reasons of being Cuban by birth, to feel it in the blood, soul and spirit, and “to show it in feelings, ideas and attitudes”.