La Borinqueña is the official anthem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The current official music and words were codified in 1903 and have since been taught in schools and generally adopted by the public. The music was officially adopted by the government in 1952, and the words in 1977. The title refers to the aboriginal Taíno name for the island of Puerto Rico, Boriken or Borinquen.
The music was originally written by Félix Astol Artés in 1867 as an habanera danza, with romantic lyrics. In 1868, Lola Rodríguez de Tió wrote a poem in support of Puerto Rican revolution, which was set to the Astol Artés music. Deemed too subversive for official adoption, a less controversial set of lyrics was written in 1903 by Manuel Fernández Juncos and taught in the public schools. The tune was officially adopted as the Commonwealth's anthem in 1952, and continued to be sung with the Manuel Fernández Juncos words (which, however, were not officially adopted until 1977).
Both versions are given below. The Fernández Juncos version is the most familiar version; it is, for example, sung spontaneously to celebrate Puerto Rican successes in athletic events. As of 2004 the "revolutionary" version is associated with the Puerto Rican Independence movement (see Politics of Puerto Rico) and was sung at the Vieques Navy protests.
Official Anthem of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
