National Anthem of the Dominican Republic : Ask Biography

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'Quisqueyanos valientes' ("Valiant Quisqueyans") is the national anthem of the Dominican Republic. Its music was composed by José Rufino Reyes Siancas (1835-1905), and its lyrics were written by Emilio Prud'Homme (1856-1932). The first public performance of Himno Nacional (English: "National Anthem") took place on August 17, 1883 at the Masonic Lodge "Esperanza No.9" ("Esperanza" means "Hope" in Spanish).

The music was an instant success, but the original lyrics were questioned by several Dominican scholars, due to factual errors in the words. In 1897 Prud'homme submitted a corrected version, which stands today.

With the new lyrics approved by mostly everybody, the Dominican Congress adopted Himno Nacional as the official national anthem, after heated debates, on June 7, 1897. President Ulises Heureaux (1846-1899) vetoed the act, however, because Prud'homme was an opponent of his government. Heureaux was murdered in 1899 and the political disorders of the following years prevented the officialization of the anthem.

Himno Nacional was finally adopted as the national anthem of the Dominican Republic on May 30, 1934.

The term 'Dominican' never appears in the anthem. Prud'homme consistently uses the poetic term Quisqueyano or Quisqueya referring to the term that the Indians used to call the island before the arrival of Europeans.