The song “León, hermano del camino” (Lion, brother of the road), composed by Peruvian musician Jaime Montoya and performed by the Aguchita Choir, has been chosen as the official anthem for the apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Peru, scheduled for the first half of November.The song won the grand final of the national competition “Lion of Hope,” held on Friday, July 10th at the Municipal Theater of Lima. Ten finalist compositions were performed live before a jury, Church authorities, and hundreds of attendees.
The contest was organized by the National Institute of Radio and Television of Peru, in coordination with the Peruvian Episcopal Conference. It received 394 songs submitted from different regions of the country.The gala was broadcast nationwide on TV Perú. The facade of the historic Municipal Theater was illuminated for the occasion, and several Peruvian bishops attended, including the Archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Carlos Castillo. Each finalist had three minutes to perform their composition live.“We feel very blessed”In an interview with EWTN News, Carla Polo, coordinator of the Aguchita Choir, expressed the group’s joy after winning first place.“We feel very happy as a group, truly blessed, because many Peruvian artists came together, all very professional, but I think there is also something divine here.
It is a song that conveys a powerful message in preparation for the Pope’s arrival,” she stated.Polo explained that the choir dedicated weeks of intense work to prepare the performance.“We gave it our all. We rehearsed a lot, until late at night, together with the director, Jaime Montoya. We did have hope that we would win, because the lyrics are very beautiful, very profound. They speak of peace, unity, and brotherhood that involve all the Peruvian people,” she said.“Let everyone feel it as their own”The singer expressed her wish that the anthem be embraced by all Peruvians and “that they feel it as their own, because this song is for everyone, for Peru.”“He speaks of a living Church, an outgoing Church, because we are the Church and we have the duty to go out and proclaim the Word of the Lord. Through our singing we transmit a message; as the Lord says, he who sings prays twice,” she expressed.She also invited parishes and communities to learn the song, noting that “when the Pope arrives we must all sing with one voice.”