The channel Warhero Animation published this Wednesday on YouTube an animated reinterpretation of "Chamamé a Cuba," a five-minute piece that transforms the original message of support for the Cuban revolution into a declaration of freedom and a break from Castroism.
The new version presents the story of an Argentine from Corrientes who arrives in a Cuba imagined as free and prosperous. The channel itself clarified in the video description that it is "an imagined vision of a free future, not a representation of the current reality."
The original song was collectively and anonymously composed by Argentine political prisoners held in the Rawson prison in the early 1970s, during the dictatorship of General Alejandro Agustín Lanusse.
In that version, the protagonist arrived at a "socialist homeland Cuba, land of Fidel," and the theme concluded with the slogan "Death to the Yankees, long live Fidel!"
Over the years, "Chamamé a Cuba" has been performed by artists such as Soledad Bravo and the Grupo Moncada and has become associated with solidarity for the Cuban regime in various Latin American countries.
The reinterpretation precisely modifies those elements. Where the original version referred to a "socialist homeland, land of Fidel," the new lyrics present Cuba as a "liberated homeland, land of Martí."
In another of its verses, it states that "today the earth belongs to everyone" and suggests the end of the "days of Marx, Stalin, and Lenin."
The new text also incorporates a direct reference to the repressive mechanisms of the Cuban regime. The song describes the rifles that were pointed at the people, which, according to the lyrics, ended up "disarmed, broken, and buried."
The version was also shared by the Cuban content creator Elieser "El Bayardo" on Facebook, where it garnered nearly 44,000 views and over 4,000 positive reactions in just a few days. In sharing it, he encapsulated the transformation with a brief phrase: "If matter transforms, so do songs."
The comments posted on YouTube reflected the emotional impact that the new version had on Cuban users. "My tears were flowing at the thought of the day this becomes a reality," wrote one.
Another noted that this is a version that, in their opinion, represents a new generation, while a third person expressed their hope that the song will be heard in Cuba when the country is free.
What distinguishes this version from previous ones is its symbolic operation: it does not create a new anthem, but rather takes one of the musical emblems of Castroism and turns it into its antithesis, concluding with a line that encapsulates the complete turnaround: "How beautiful Cuba is, without a trace of Fidel."
The reinterpretation is part of a sustained wave of songs advocating for the freedom of Cuba that began with "Patria y Vida" in 2021, a winner of two Latin Grammys, and has continued without interruption.
In May of this year, French rapper Ferapth released Libertad [Patria Y Vida], a bilingual track that denounces the Cuban dictatorship.
In 2022, at least 10 songs by artists such as Melendi, Camila Cabello, and Aymée Nuviola were dedicated to the freedom of the island.
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