Cuba remembers today the legacy and artistic work of the Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque, on the 15th anniversary of his physical disappearance.

Considered one of the main promoters of the process of social, economic and cultural changes that triumphed in January 1959, Juan Almeida was an outstanding revolutionary combatant and leader who held high military, state and political posts.

From his humble origins in Havana, he was trained in patriotic values for the conquest of the rights that were denied to the blacks of the time.

After the coup d’état of 10 March 1952, he joined the struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (1952-1959), when he linked up with the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro.

He took part in the assault on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, was part of the exile in Mexico, an expeditionary on the Granma yacht, one of the founders of the Rebel Army, and stood out for his military astuteness in battles such as that of El Uvero (1957).

He commanded the Third Guerrilla Front in Santiago de Cuba and held numerous responsibilities after the triumph of 1 January 1959.

He was a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party from its foundation in 1965, and was a deputy and vice-president of the Council of State, among other high-ranking posts.

He was awarded the Honorary Title of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and the Máximo Gómez Order of the first degree, awarded on 27 February 1998, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his promotion to Commander in the Sierra Maestra.

More than 300 songs and a dozen books were signed by the Comandante, who kept a notebook and a tape recorder in his car to make the most of the journey from one place to another.

Along with his responsibilities and merits, there remained compositions such as: Este son homenaje, El gran día de enero or Qué le pasa a esa mujer, as well as the texts El general Máximo Gómez, Por las faldas del Turquino and La aurora de los héroes.