José María Zeledón Brenes

Who was José María Zeledón Brenes?

José María Zeledón Brenes was a Costa Rican politician, poet, journalist and writer under the pen name Billo Zeledón. He is known as the author of the Costa Rica's national anthem.

He was an orphan from a young age, since his mother died at childbirth and his father died when he was very young. He was raised by two of his aunts, both his father's sisters, with a low money income. This is why he only went through the first year in the Liceo de Costa Rica. Shortly after that, he had to work for a living.

In 1892 he began to work as a typewriter in the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, position that helped him become a journalist. His first articles were published in 1898 in El Diarito, and since then until 1948 he wrote in all major newspapers and magazines in Costa Rica.

On December 24, 1899 he married his cousin Ester Venegas Zeledón. They had five children.

When he was 27 years old, he participated in a competition to give lyrics to the National Anthem, which already had music that was composed by Manuel María Gutiérrez. He took the first prize and the lyrics persist since 1903.

He wrote two books for children: Jardin para Niños in 1916 and Alma Infantil in 1928. His other books Campo de Batalla and Germinal were burned before they were published.