"For The Gambia Our Homeland" is the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
of
the Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
. It is based on the music of a traditional
Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
song, to which original Mandinka lyrics were written by
Jali Nyama Suso
Jali Nyama Suso (circa 1925–1991) was a kora player from Gambia. He had a program on Radio Gambia for 20 years. He had his first album in 1971 while he was teaching at the University of Washington. In the 1980s he toured in England, France, Ge ...
. An English arrangement and translation were made by husband and wife Jeremy and Virginia Howe and adopted as the national anthem in 1965.
History
In the lead-up to the Gambia's independence
from the United Kingdom on 18 February 1965, a National Anthem Selection Committee was set up to accept submissions for a national anthem for the country. The Committee would ultimately receive three submissions. One submission, by Reverend John Colley Faye, although acknowledged as "superb" in content, was rejected for being too long, with the Committee preferring something more to the point and easy to memorise.
Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
musician
Jali Nyama Suso
Jali Nyama Suso (circa 1925–1991) was a kora player from Gambia. He had a program on Radio Gambia for 20 years. He had his first album in 1971 while he was teaching at the University of Washington. In the 1980s he toured in England, France, Ge ...
was approached by the government to compose an entry. He responded that he would base his proposal on a traditional Mandinka tune dedicated Foday Kabba Dumbuya (or Fodee Kaba Dumbuya), a Muslim reformer and warrior remembered for his conquests for Islam, and a patron of
Jali
A ''jali'' or jaali (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticework, latticed Window screen, screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. T ...
Nyama's grandfather. Jali Nyama stated that basing national anthems on odes to local historical figures had been done in nearby
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
and
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
. Jali Nyama wrote his own Mandinka lyrics to the tune.
Jali Nyama's proposal was recorded and sent to be heard in the Prime Minister's office in the Cabinet, where it was liked by Prime Minister
Dawda Jawara
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (16 May 1924 – 27 August 2019) was a Gambian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as the first President of the Gambia from 1970 to 1994.
Jawara was born in Barajally, MacCarthy Island ...
. After it was also well received by
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
John Paul, it was sent to be translated into English by Jeremy Frederick Howe,
Chairman of the Selection Committee. Howe was a member of the Gambia
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...
from 1954 to 1965, an Administrative Officer in the Ministry of Local Government. Howe would ultimately be credited for the composition of the anthem, while his wife, Virginia Julia Howe, a university-trained composer, would be credited for the English translation.
Lyrics
The original lyrics are in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, but have been translated into
local languages such as
Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
[https://youtube.com/watch?v=iFZJETsyU6w] and
Wolof
Wolof or Wollof may refer to:
* Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania
* Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania
* The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...
.
Notes
References
External links
{{authority control
Gambian music
National symbols of the Gambia
African anthems
Year of song missing
National anthem compositions in C major