guantanamera (satb)

This song by Jose Fernandez comes from Cuba.  The text was written about a century ago by Jose Marti, am important Cuban poet, known as "the Father of his Country."

The music is derived from a pre-existing Cuban song/dance form which makes the words of the refrain much older than Marti's verses.    "Guantanamara" is a woman from Guantanamo, the southeasternmost region of the island of Cuba.  "Guajira" is a peasant woman.  Thus, the refrain refers to a peasant woman from Guantanamo.