El Salvador
In
The United Kingdom and Ireland

Himno Nacional de El Salvador is the national anthem of El Salvador and it was commonly adopted as the National Song on the 15th of September 1879, though it did not have an official recognition until the 11th of December 1953. This as a result of a dispute that arose after doubts in which it was claimed another song was officially recognised as the National Anthem.

The Official National Anthem (as we now it today) was composed and written by the artist Juan Aberle, Italian composer that arrived in the country at the end of the 18th Century as the Director of an Opera Company and by General Juan José Cañas, an inspired poet and distinguished military that took arms with the National Army against filibusters, around the year 1856.

It was composed by recommendation of President Dr. Rafael Zaldívar and was sung for the first time on September 15, 1879 at the prior National Palace by children and young students from government and private schools of the capital city. These students had practised the Anthem for three months, and when they sang it for the first time that September morning the impression was so splendid.

According to Chapter IV, Art. 15 of the "Law of Patriotic Symbols" or "Ley de Simbolos Patrios" (Decree N. 115, dated 14^th of Sept. de 1972) :

The National Anthem of the Republic will be executed in any official act.

It shall be sung in any sports event, regardless their nature, being them national or international. If this is not followed, it incurs penalty and prosecution. Although there are three verses, only the chorus and first verse are commonly sung.

Juan José Cañas was born in the city of San Miguel, on the 19th of January 1826. He first studied in Nicaragua and later in Guatemala where he obtained his High School Diploma. He then went on to University to study three years of Medicine. In 1848 he returned to El Salvador and later travelled to San Francisco looking for gold.

He later travelled to Nicaragua and joined the army that was fighting against the filibuster William Walker.

In Cañas we see united in harmony three personalities: poet, military and diplomat. His literary collection initiated at age 17 includes verses, literary prose, critic works, narrations and several articles. In poetry he is the originator of romanticism in El Salvador. His fame as a poet goes beyond our frontiers.

He served in administration posts as Political Governor and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his diplomatic career he represented El Salvador in Santiago, Chile as Plenipotentiary Minister and achieved the signing of a treaty that strengthened relations between both countries.

He was attributed many literary honours during his life. In 1882 the Colombian Academy in Bogota designated him as foreign honorary member. He was President of the Salvadorean Academy of the Language as part of the Spanish Royal Academy. Numerous artistic organisations welcomed him as a member.

He died on January 19, 1918. His numerous poems figure in the "Central American Poetic Gallery", in the "Guirnalda Salvadoreña" ("Salvadorean Garland") and also were published in the newspapers of his time.

The famous poet Ruben Darío called him "The Patriarch of the Central American Poetry" and Jose Martí, "Veteran of the Lyre and the Sword".

Juan Aberle was born in the Italian city of Naples on the 11th of December 1846. He made of El Salvador his second country when he married a native from the city of Ahuachapan.

When he was 11 years old, impelled by his devotion to music, he applied to the Naples Conservatory against his parents will. There he gained a strong knowledge of music.

He later travelled to New York, United States where he was Opera Director for a period of five years.

He decided to go on an artistic tour to the Latin American countries. During his stay in the city of Guatemala, capital city of the Republic of Guatemala, he founded the Music Conservatory in 1879. He came to El Salvador and established the School of Music.

For all his merits, the Government named him Director of the Highest Power Band substituting the German, Carlos Malhamann, who left for the I World War. He gave up this position in 1922 due to his old age. Death came to him on February 28, 1930.

His favourite instrument was the piano. He composed abundant chamber music and made transpositions of opera fragments to be played on piano. His march "Morazán" was declared a national march on May 1, 1882. He wrote two operas: "Ivanhoe" was one of them. He also wrote " Treaty of Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue".

This is the concise history of El Salvador's National Anthem. As supplementary information it is important to know that the authors received no stipend or reward from the Government for their work. It was until 23 years later in 1902 when General Tomás Regalado was President of the Republic that the Legislative Congress agreed to grant each one of them a gold medal, which in a feeling of national gratitude was bestowed to them by the Head of the Nation.

The memory of these great men lives in the conscience of the Salvadorean people.