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Halake Demands New Anthem For Gambia!
Monday, 27 February 2012 15:46
Editor,(MailBag) – I feel sorry for my poor Gambians: even the National Anthem they sing to so heartily is a gift of the colonial power – a colonialist legacy!! Go ahead President Jammeh, please replace it with NKOSI SI KELELE AFRICA (ANC’s “God Bless Africa”). For me even the July 22 Anthem is acceptable in place of a Colonialist-penned Anthem! Until Gambia gets a new Pan-Africanist Patriotic National Anthem, I will teach my Gambian daughter only Nkosi Si Kelele.
Ex-British administrator discloses origin of The Gambia National Anthem
Daily Observer, Monday, February 27, 2012
One Jeremy Howe in the United Kingdom who has served as an administrative officer in the country from 1954-1965, has sent a correspondent to the Gambian
leader, His Excellency, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, disclosing the origin of The Gambia’s National Anthem.Howe, who was appointed to chair the committee that was set up by government to judge the submissions received for the anthem and make recommendation to the Cabinet said his wife Virginia Julia Howe wrote the words of the present anthem.
The correspondent reads:
I have recently been reading on the internet about the Gambia where I am proud to have served as an administrative officer from 1954-1965. It seems that there continues to be some argument about the origins of the Gambian National Anthem and I though that it would be helpful if I were to summarise what actually happened and put the record straight.
At the time of Internal Self Government I was attached to the Ministry of Local Government in the capital, then known as Bathurst. The government decided to invite submissions for a new anthem from members of the public and offered a prize for the successful submission. A committee was set up to judge the submissions received and make recommendation to the Cabinet. I was appointed to chair that committee. In the event the cabinet rejected all the submissions received as being unsuitable and they invited me to submit a composition myself including words and music.
The words of the present anthem which the cabinet accepted were written by my wife, Virginia Julia Howe, and I adapted and harmonized a traditional Mandinka song, Foday Kaba Dumbuya to fit those words. I chose that particular song after listening to some recordings of various traditional songs. The anthem is, therefore, entirely the result of my wife’s and my contributions.
About two years ago, after noting that there appeared to be some argument about the origins of the national anthem, I wrote to the Gambia High Commission in London and sent them copies of some of the original correspondence still in my possession such as my appointment as chairman of the selection committee and a letter confirming that I had been awarded a prize of £50, a prize which enable me to buy the desk on which I am now writing this letter.
My wife and I would be very grateful if the official records relating to the anthem could be corrected and the various website updated. May I also point out that my wife’s second name is Julia and not Julie, and that my second name, Frederic has no k. I should be glad to hear from you that my letter has been received and appropriate action taken. If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to let me known.
With kind regards and best wishes
Your sincerely,
Jeremy Howe
Author: Daily Observer
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Comments
I tend to disagree as we have more than one tribe to fine tune a new national anthem; that suits Gambia's "diverse people"? We already have adapted versions because independence was centralised celebrated around greater Banjul and during those days, wollof was predominantly popular!
The revolutionary and and nationalism spirit of South Africa are borne by its unique history of racism, persecution, war and all evil vices for their freedoms and independence; so each legacy and heritage varies?
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS A GREAT PIECE OF WORK BY ITS FOUNDER WHO ONLY WANTS TO SET RECORDS STRAIGHT!
WHAT IS THIS SENSELESS HATRED AND BIGOTRY AT THIS TIME AROUND 21ST CENTURY?
EXHAUSTED MYSELF AND QUITTING THIS TOPIC!
Both are beautiful and meaningful songs that could be adopted as our National Anthem in place of the English version...There is no doubt that the Wollof Language is now more widely spoken in The Gambia/Senegambia than any other language...And it's gaining more influence because it's easier to learn to speak...
So it's just common sense to adopt an anthem that all/most can understand and identify with,rather than a language of just a handful of people....
But,as Africans living in one of the most naturally endowed continent with the poorest people and least developed nations,the language of our National Anthems is the LEAST of our problems,if it is a problem at all...
Hopefully we will compile all right words and notes in due course; with assistance of those who remember more than me?
"Baiye len sufsi lichineh am ngeringe" Chorus follows for ("Ngeringe!") Cultivate the land for fruitful labour and discover abundance?
"Baiye len sufsi lichineh am ngeringe" Ngeringe!" ""Baiye len sufsi lichineh am ngeringe" A repeat of above translation?
"Jot nenge rewmi teh dehret tooroowootfi!" Chorus follows for ("Wootfi!") We got our independent sovereignty without any spillage of blood?
"Jot nenge rewmi teh dehret tooroowootfi!" "Wootfi!" "Jot nenge rewmi teh dehret tooroowootfi!" A repeat of above translation?
I can remember the composer (was known to me), a prominent music teacher and choir leader of Gambia Anglican Church; who went around all Banjul schools with his trumpet to set the tune properly! He could be with a surname like Mr. George?
Wollof and English Translation
"Leegaye jotna Gambia am naa bob baam! Chorus follows for ("Bob baam!") Its time to work and perform as Gambia gain its Independence! Independent?
"Leegaye jotna Gambia am naa bob baam! "Bob baam!" "Leegaye jotna Gambia am naa bob baam!" A repeat of above translation?
CONTINUE ON NEXT POST?
When you consider only 12% of English people are indigenous...we must further consider that much of what forms English culture is imported from foreign lands.
Britain being a trading island people..have imported the worlds cuture on mass...for centuries.
Therefore.. diverse skin colour and ethnic origin and the confluence of immigrant communities, are the true blend and richness of modern Englishness.
Oh for sure...there are the quasi English minorities who attack these differences...out of a benign sense of
" nationalism "..
But the chances are the hereditry genetic composition of these racists "factions" are as foreign as the immigrants they seek to challenge.
This national anthem issue has nothing to do with PPP.Why has the guy who claimed to have wrote it came out now .Our case is plain and simple,we don't want your Jammeh to tamper with the national anthem by putting his name on it.I like mike scales for being fair and honest in all his postings.As for Halake,he got to learn his lessons he got from jammeh .RADIOKANGKANG,I bet you are from Baddibu,and if yes ,you are not a real Baddibunka as they are always weary of the status quo.
My support to Jammeh, is base on policies and principles, he has won my support in many angles; access to education,Secur ity,Health,Agri culture, Infastructure development,Com munication,Good governance, more importantly culture and sports, I can go on and on, my favored one is Vision 2020. MAY ALLAH HELP HIM GOT WHATEVER GOOD HE WISH FOR THE GAMBIA, AMEN.
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