March, Song or National Anthem of Peru. Nominal and legal issues from its creation to the present 21st century

Abstract

The National Anthem, as one of the national symbols, is a substantial part of the identity of Peruvians and as part of their context and imaginary. Throughout its years of circulation, it has undergone a series of structural changes that have led the hymn to take the form with which it is currently known. A series of musical and literary vicissitudes, two contests and a restoration. Despite this, the protagonists José Bernardo Alcedo, composer of the music, and José de la Torre Ugarte, writer of the lyrics, have always been recognized as such thanks to the support of decrees and laws whose purpose is to protect and regulate the use of the hymn. During the quarantine and the celebration of the Bicentennial of the Independence of Peru, initiatives related to the anthem arose, drawing attention to its importance as well as the participation of citizens in the construction of its symbols. In this way, through his work, the historical, biographical and political documents we will analyze the conception of the Anthem, the succession of events that impacted the changes in form and denomination, the participating agents, a temporary account of the legal events, and finally a reflection from the bicentennial of its creation.