Composed by Captain Antonio Camertoni (Italy 1883-Argentina ….), Band Conductor and composer of other marches, the title was taken from one of the war mottoes of the republican cavalry during the War of Independence. Also, this was the name of a column of special troops created to conduct guerrilla warfare operations behind enemy lines after the battle of Tuyutí in the Paraguay War.
Since 1973 is the official march of the General San Martin Mounted Grenadiers foot formations. The regiment was created by decree on March 16, 1812 and organized by its first chief, then Lt. Col. José de San Martin. The regiment was under fire for the first time on February 3, 1813, in the combat of San Lorenzo on the Paraná River. It was part of the Army of the North and participated in the siege and conquest in 1814 of Montevideo, a royalist stronghold which threatened the recently formed independent government based in Buenos Aires.
In 1817, the regiment became part of the Andean Army and after crossing the mountain range , fought the battles of Chacabuco, Maipo and others in Chile; then, in 1820, it took part in the expedition to liberate Peru and completed its military exploits with the victories of Pichincha, which liberated Ecuador, and Junín and Ayacucho, which consolidated the independence of the continent.
Since the beginning of the 20th. Century, the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, based in Buenos Aires, serves as Presidential escort. The regiment’s fanfare “Alto Perú” is one of the few remaining mounted brass bands existing in the world.
