Written between 1857 and 1859 after a trip through the Caribbean, the song was first published as sheet music in Spain in 1859 (dedicated "Dedicada a la Señorita Da. Sarolta Bujanovics, prima donna assoluta del Real Teatro de Madrid"). This dedication is mentioned on page 420 of James J. Fuld's book "The Book of World-Famous Music," but without specific evidence or a publisher. The song is said to have been performed for the first time in 1863 at the Teatro Nacional de Mexico in Mexico City. While this is certainly possible, the claim that Emperor Maximilian I was present can safely be relegated to the realm of legend. Similarly, the notion that the Italian contralto Marietta Alboni had the song in her repertoire as early as 1858 is an internet myth. She may have included it in her European tours, but certainly not until the late 1860s.