'Patria Y Vida' Becomes Anthem For Those Clamoring For A Free Cuba

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - You have seen the signs and heard the cries of "Patria y Vida," meaning "Homeland and Life" and it has become the siren song for protesters on the island as well as here in South Florida.

It is an actual song released earlier this year by several Cuban artists.

The title of the song is a spin on the refrain "Patria o Muerte," often uttered by Fidel Castro and sympathizers of the communist regime, but many Cubans say they want to reclaim "La Patria" and they want to live to see a free Cuban.

"You know who started what's happening in Cuba? Artists, poets, songwriters, writers, actors, musicians," said Senator Marco Rubio, in a recent speech on the Senate floor.

"They are the ones who started it. The San Isidro Movement. But then (the Cuban government) came after them. And there's a song that came out earlier this year, that by the way, if you play in Cuba, you will go to jail. The song's name is Patria y Vida."

Cuban singer Yotuel, along with other artists including the group Gente de Zona, are featured on the song.

They have been in Miami to lend their voices to a rally here.

"If you look at the words, the strength of the words is in all the words, all the phrases," Yotuel said.

"Not just changing the death for life, but changing the or for the and."

The music video has more than 6 million views on Yotuel's Youtube page and counting.

"The success of "Patria y Vida", is not in the views or on Spotify, it's in the 20-year-old guys in Cuba going out in the streets and saying 'Patria y Vida'," he added.

In the song, the chorus makes reference to a game of dominoes, a game that ends when no player has another domino they can play.

The game is "trancado" or locked up.

The song says they have been locked up for 60 years, but "ya se acabo"--  it's over.

At Domino Park in Little Havana, there's hope the song rings true.

"For me it's like, we want our country and we want to be alive," said Cuban-born Angel Guevara. "We want a free democratic Cuba. We want to live in a democracy like here."

The song also says the world would be aware of what's going on, and it's safe to say, that is exactly what we are seeing happening now.