This article is on the National Anthem of Mexico. For the film, see Mexicanos, al grito de guerra (1943 film).

Front page of the sheet music to the Mexican anthem

"Mexicanos, al grito de guerra" (Spanish for "Mexicans, at the cry of war") is the unofficial title of the national anthem of Mexico (Himno Nacional Mexicano) and also the first line of its chorus. The song's lyrics, which allude to Mexican victories in the heat of battle and cries of defending the homeland, were composed by poet Francisco González Bocanegra in 1853, after his fiancée locked him in a room. In 1854, Jaime Nunó arranged the music which now accompanies González's poem. The anthem, consisting of ten stanzas and a chorus, entered into use on September 16, 1854 but was not officially declared the national anthem until 1943. During this period, the lyrics underwent several modifications due to political changes in Mexico. Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Mexicanos, al grito de guerra (Mexicans, To The Cry of War) was a 1943 historical drama movie produced in Mexico. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (560x706, 96 KB)The cover of the music sheet for the Mexican anthem. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (560x706, 96 KB)The cover of the music sheet for the Mexican anthem. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... In classical music a chorus is any substantial group of performers in a play, revue, musical or opera who act more or less as one. ... FRANCISCO GONZÁLEZ BOCANEGRA [1824-1861] Autor del Himno Nacional Nació el 8 de enero de 1824, en la ciudad de San Luis Potosí, siendo hijo de don José María González Yáñez, de nacionalidad española, militar al servicio del ejército realista, y de doña... An engagement is an agreement by a couple to enter into marriage at some future time, usually accompanied by a formal or informal announcement to friends and family. ... Jaime Nuno Roca (1824 - 1908) was a Spanish songwriter. ... In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Composition

Lyrics competition

Francisco González Bocanegra

On November 12, 1853, President Antonio López de Santa Anna announced a competition to write a national anthem for Mexico. The competition offered a prize for the best poetic composition representing patriotic ideals. Francisco González Bocanegra, a talented poet, was not interested in participating in the competition. He argued that writing love poems involved very different skills from the ones required to write a national anthem. His fiancée, Guadalupe González del Pino (or Pili), had undaunted faith in her fiancé's poetic skills and was displeased with his constant refusal to participate in spite of her constant prodding and requests from their friends. Finally she decided to take matters into her own hands. Under false pretenses, she lured him to a secluded bedroom in her parents' house, locked him into the room, and refused to let him out until he produced an entry for the competition. Inside the room in which he was temporarily imprisoned were pictures depicting various events in Mexican history which helped to inspire his work. After four hours of fluent (albeit forced) inspiration, Francisco regained his freedom by slipping all ten verses of his creation under the door. After Francisco received approval from his fiancée and her father, he submitted the poem and won the competition by unanimous vote.^[1] González was announced the winner in the publication Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) on February 3, 1854. Image File history File links Francisco_Gonzalez_Bocanegra. ... Image File history File links Francisco_Gonzalez_Bocanegra. ... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A poet is some one who writes poetry. ... Guadalupe González del Pino (Pili) was the wife of Mexican composer Francisco González Bocanegra. ... // Prehistoric times Although there are tantalizing fragments of evidence suggesting human habitation of Mexico more than 20,000 years ago, the first solid evidence comes from two kill sites in the northern Basin of Mexico. ... The Official Journal of the Federation (Spanish: Diario Oficial de la Federación, DOF) is the journal published by the government of Mexico. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Music competition

Jaime Nunó

At the same time the lyrics were chosen, a set of music was chosen. The winner was Juan Bottesini, but his entry was disliked due to aesthetics. This rejection caused a second national contest for find music to the new anthem.^[2] At the end of the second contest, the music that was chosen for González's lyrics was composed by Jaime Nunó, a Spanish-born band leader. At the time of the second anthem competition, Nunó was the leader of several Mexican military bands. He had been invited to direct these bands by President Santa Anna, whom he had met in Cuba. About the time that Nunó first came to Mexico to start performing with the bands, Santa Anna was making his announcement about creating a national anthem for Mexico. Out of the few musical compositions submitted, Nunó's music, titled "God and Freedom" (Dios y libertad), was chosen as the winner on August 12, 1854.^[3] The anthem was officially adopted on Independence Day, September 16 of that same year. The inaugural interpretation was directed by Juan Bottesini, sung by soprano Claudia Florenti and tenor Lorenzo Salvi at the Santa Anna Theatre (now known as the National Theatre of Mexico).^[4][2] Image File history File links Jaime_Nuno. ... Image File history File links Jaime_Nuno. ... Juan Bottesini was an Italian maestro. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Grito de Dolores was the call for the independence of Mexico given by Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810 in the town of Dolores Hidalgo, near Guanajuato. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... Look up Soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Claudia Florenti was an Italian opera singer with the rank of magnificent soprano. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as the modern countertenor). ... Lorenzo Salvi is a tenor, born in Italy. ... The National Theatre of Mexico is a building in Mexico City that host events that showcase the artistic and musical tallents of Mexico. ...

Lyrics

Officially since 1943, the full national anthem consists of the chorus, 1st stanza, 5th stanza, 6th stanza and 10th stanza. The modification of the lyrics was ordered by President Manuel Avila Camacho in a decree printed in the Diario Oficial de la Federación.^[5] When Mexican anthem is played at sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, the only parts of the anthem that are played are the chorus, 1st stanza and the chorus. When opening and closing television and or radio programming, stations have sometimes played a modified national anthem consisting of the chorus, 1st stanza, chorus, 10th stanza and chorus. Manuel Ávila Camacho (April 24, 1897 – October 13, 1955) served as the President of Mexico from 1940 to 1946. ... The Official Journal of the Federation (Spanish: Diario Oficial de la Federación, DOF) is the journal published by the government of Mexico. ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ...

Notes: The official lyrics are in Spanish, but as of December 9, 2005, the Mexican Government has allowed for various native peoples of Mexico to translate the lyrics into their native languages. The translation will be performed by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas).^[6] The word "Patria" in the Spanish language is the feminine form of the English term for the homeland (Motherland/Fatherland).^[7] December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

National Anthem of Mexico

Copyright status

An urban legend about the copyright status of the Mexican anthem states that years after the first performance of the anthem, Nunó's family sold the anthem's musical rights to a German music publishing company named Wagner House. Originally, Nunó was supposed to have turned the music rights over to the state in exchange for a prize from the Mexican government. However, according to the myth, the copyright changed hands again, this time to Nunó himself and two Americans, Harry Henneman and Phil Hill.^[8]

In reality, however, this is not entirely correct. It is true that Nuno, Henneman and Hill did register the music with the company BMI (BMI Work #568879), with the Edward B. Marks Music Company as the listed publisher of the anthem.^[9] This might be the version that some have suggested is copyrighted in the United States.^[10] However, United States Copyright Law declares the Mexican anthem to be in the public domain inside the United States, since both the lyrics and music were published before 1909.^[11] Furthermore, under Mexican copyright law, Article 155 states that the government holds moral rights, but not property rights, of the national symbols, including the anthem, coat of arms and the national flag.^[12] BMI can mean one of the following: Body mass index - a measurement of ideal weight range Broadcast Music Incorporated - a music-related organization BMI British Midland - a UK airline founded to serve Great Britains midland regions. ... United States copyright law governs the legally enforceable rights of creative and artistic works in the United States. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Coat of Arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. ... The flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white and red with the coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. ...

National Regulations

In the second chapter of the Law regarding the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem (Ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales), Mexico's national anthem is described in very brief terms. While Articles 2 and 3 discuss in detail the coat of arms and the flag, respectively, Article 4 mentions only that the national anthem will be designated by law. Article 4 also mentions that a copy of the lyrics and the musical notation will be kept at two locations, the General National Archive and at the National Library, located in the National Museum of History (Biblioteca Nacional en el Museo Nacional de Historia). The Coat of Arms of Mexico has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. ... The flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white and red with the coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. ... The General National Archive (Spanish: Archivo General de la Nación) is charged by the Mexican state to be the governing body of the national archives and the central consultative entity of the Federal Executive. ... Aerial view of the Chapultepec Castle and the Monument of the Heroic Cadets. ...

Chapter 5 of the Law goes into more detail about how to honor, respect and properly perform the national anthem:

Article 38 states that the singing, playing, reproduction and circulation of the national anthem are regulated by law and that any interpretation of the anthem must be performed in a "respectful way and in a scope that allows [one] to observe the due solemnity" of the anthem.

Article 39 prohibits the anthem from being altered in any fashion, prohibits it from being sung for commercial or promotional purposes, and also disallows the singing or playing of national anthems from other nations, unless you have permission from the Secretary of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) and the diplomatic official from the nation in question.

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Public Education (Secretaría de Educación Publica), in Article 40, must grant permission for all reproductions of the national anthem to be produced, unless the anthem is being played during official ceremonies carried on the radio or television.

Video recording played on Mexican TV, complying with Article 41 of the Ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales.

Article 41 states that the national anthem is required to be played at the beginning or end of radio and television programing. The extra requirement for television programing is that photos of the Mexican flag must be displayed at the same time the anthem is playing. Image File history File links Himno_Nacional_Mexicano_XEJTV_2006. ... Image File history File links Himno_Nacional_Mexicano_XEJTV_2006. ...

Article 42 states that the anthem may only be used during the following occasions: solemn acts of official, civic, cultural, scholastic or sport character. The anthem can also be played to render honors to the Mexican flag and to the President of Mexico. If the national anthem is being used to honor the national flag or the President, the short version of the anthem is played. The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state of Mexico. ...

Article 43 says that special musical honors may be paid to the President and the flag, but no more than once during the same ceremony.

Article 44 says that during solemn occasions, if a choir is singing the anthem, the military bands will keep silent.

Article 45 says that those who are watching the national anthem performance must stand at attention (firmes) and remove any headgear.

Article 46 states that the national anthem must be taught to children who are attending primary or secondary school; this article was amended in 2005 to add pre-school to the list. The article also states that each school in the National Education System (Sistema Educativo Nacional) will be asked to sing the national anthem each year.

Article 47 states that during an official welcoming ceremony for a head of state, the guest's anthem will be played first, then the Mexican anthem.

Article 48 states that at embassies and consulates of Mexico, the national anthem is played at ceremonies of a solemn nature that involves the Mexican people. If the anthem is played outside of Mexico, Article 48 requires that the Secretary of External Relations (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores), through proper channels, must grant permission for the national anthem to be played and will also ensure that the anthem is not sung for commercial purposes.^[13]

Cultural significance

Upon the writing of the anthem, Mexico was still facing the effects of a defeat in a war with the United States. The country felt demoralized and also divided, due to the loss of nearly half of the territory to the United States. According to historian Javier Garciadiego, who spoke at a ceremony commemorating the 150th anniversary of the anthem's adoption, said that the anthem disregards divisions and strife and encourages national unity. Also, during the celebration in 2004, Mexico City and other parts of the country stopped what they were doing and performed a nationwide singing of the anthem. Individuals from other nations participated, mostly at diplomatic offices or at locations where a high concentration of Mexican expatriates are found. The anthem has also been described as one of the symbols of the "Mexican identity."^[10] The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is someone temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing and/or legal residence. ...

In the rare occasions when someone performs the anthem incorrectly, the federal government has been known to impose penalties to maintain the "dignity" of the national symbols. One example is when a performer forgot some of the lyrics at a soccer match in Guadalajara, she was fined 40 USD by the Interior Ministry and released an apology letter to the country through the Interior Ministry.^[14] In addition, the anthem is sometimes used as a tool against people who might not be "true Mexicans". In one case, minority groups, such as the Black Mexicans, have been stopped by police and forced to sing the anthem to prove their nationality.^[15] In a separate incident in Japan, police officers asked four men to sing the Mexican anthem after they were arrested in Tokyo on charges of breaking and entering. However, when the men could not sing the anthem, it was discovered that they were Colombian nationals holding forged Mexican passports. They were later charged with more counts on theft of merchandise and money.^[16] Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Guadalajara may refer to: Mexico Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco Chivas de Guadalajara, aka Chivas, a Mexican association football team Spain Guadalajara (province), a province in Castile–La Mancha Guadalajara, Spain, the capital of the above province This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The term Black Mexican is how Americans refer to Mexican citizens who are of African descent. ... Tokyo ) , literally eastern capital, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and includes the highly urbanized central area formerly known as the city of Tokyo which is the heart of the Greater Tokyo Area. ...

Other Languages

While the oficial language of México is spanish, there is still people who only speak traditional languages. In 8 of december of 2005 the article 39 bis acepted singing the national anthem in the language of the different comuninities, with translation made by the "Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas" ^[17].

The languages to which it has been translated oficially are Chinanteco, Hña Hñu, Mixteco, Maya, Nahuatl and Tenek. There are version in other languages but still are not oficial, until they are sanctioned by the authorities.

This is the nahuatl version:

Mexihca tepetlacuicatl

cepan tlacuicalli

ihcuac yaotl techotzaz mexihca
ticanacan temicti tepoztli
ihuan huelihqui ma tlalcohcomoni
ihcuac totepoz cueponiz nohuian.

tlazohtlalnan ximoixcuaxochtlali
in pahcayotl nemiliztli cecnictlaca
il huicapa monemiliz nochipa
omohcuilo ica imahpiltzin toteo.

tlaquinequizque in huehca chanehque
motlalticpac quintlalizque in icxihuan
tlazohtlalnan xicmati ca mopilhuan
quin yecanaz toteotzin ipan yaotl.

ome tlacuicalli

tlazohtlalnan mopilhuan mitzilhuia
ca nochipa mopampa mihmiquizque
tla technotzaz in yaoltlapitzalli
ica itenyo huelihqui quemhmanian

inic tehuatl iztaque xochime
inic yehuan ce ilhuica ilnamiquiliz
cente tlatzca tlatlaniliz moaxca
ce mahuiztic tecochtli inic yeh

cepan tlacuicalli

ihcuac yaotl technotzaz mexihca
ticanacan temicti tepoztli
ihuan huelihqui ma tlalcohcomoni
ihcuac totepoz cueponiz nohuian.

The different versions can be found [[1]].

Recordings

Image File history File links Himno_nacional_mexicano_coral. ... Image File history File links Himno_nacional_mexicanos_instrumental. ...

Sheet music

First page of music and lyrics Image File history File links Download high resolution version (476x639, 99 KB) The text and musical notation of the Mexican national anthem, sheet one. ...

Second page of music and lyrics Image File history File links Himno_mexicanos_text2. ...

References

1. ^ David Kendall National Anthems - Mexico
2. ^ ^a b Embassy of Mexico in Serbia and Montenegro Mexican Symbols - Himo. Retrieved Mar. 19, 2006.
3. ^ ^a b President of the Republic - National Anthem for Kids. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006.
4. ^ Secretary of External Relations History of the Mexican Anthem. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006. (Spanish)
5. ^ Administration of Ernesto Zedillo National Symbols of Mexico. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006.
6. ^ Diario Oficial de la Federación - Decree allowing for translation of the anthem into native languages. Dec. 7, 2005. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2006
7. ^ Spanish to English vocab list - Page 5
8. ^ LA Weekly DON'T CRY FOR ME, MEXICO; Article about the copyright situation. Sept. 22, 1999.
9. ^ BMI Repretoire Himno Nacional Mexicano (BMI Work #568879). Retrieved Mar. 16, 2006.
10. ^ ^a b San Diego Union Tribune Mexicans celebrate 150 years of national anthem with worldwide sing-along Sept. 15, 2004. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006.
11. ^ US Copyright Office Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States. Retrieved Mar. 16, 2006
12. ^ E-Moeller.com Mexican Copyright Law. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006
13. ^ Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la UNAM Ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2006. (Spanish)
14. ^ Associated Press Woman fined for bungling Mexican anthem. October 2004. Retrieved Mar. 20, 2006.
15. ^ College Street Journal FP Antonieta Gimeno Attends Conference on Black Mexicans. Retrieved Mar. 20, 2006.
16. ^ ABC News Online Japanese police catch Colombian thieves out. Jun 15, 2004. Retrieved Mar. 20, 2006.
17. ^ Diario Oficial de la Federación - Decree allowing for translation of the anthem into native languages. Dec. 7, 2005. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2006

The Official Journal of the Federation (Spanish: Diario Oficial de la Federación, DOF) is the journal published by the government of Mexico. ... The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily newspaper published in San Diego, California by the Copley Press. ... Associated Press logo The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The Official Journal of the Federation (Spanish: Diario Oficial de la Federación, DOF) is the journal published by the government of Mexico. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Himno Nacional Mexicano

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra

• SECGOB page about the 150th anniversary of the anthem (Spanish)
  • MP3 recordings of the anthem (Spanish)
• President of Mexico's page about the anthem, with two recordings (Spanish)
• Forum with recordings
• Brief history of the anthem for children
• Full lyrics of the anthem (PDF) (Spanish)
• Chorus and first stanza in 10 native languages (Spanish)