Gambia National Anthem
For The Gambia Our Homeland
1965
1965
Virginia Julie Howe
Traditional (adapted by Jeremy Frederick Howe)
🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith ☮ Peace 🕊 Freedom 🌈 Diversity |
Key Facts
- 1. The melody comes from 'Foday Kaba Dumbuya', a traditional song of the Mandinka, the country's largest ethnic group
- 2. The song honours Foday Kaba Dumbuya, a 19th-century marabout (Muslim cleric) and one of the key figures of the Soninke-Marabout wars, who remains a controversial figure in Mandinka history
- 3. The tune was chosen through a national competition before independence; according to ethnomusicologist Roderic Knight, the winning entry was a version submitted by the kora virtuoso Jali Nyama Suso
Gambia National Anthem Lyrics
For The Gambia, our homeland,
We strive and work and pray,
That all may live in unity,
Freedom and peace each day.
Let justice guide our actions
Towards the common good,
And join our diverse peoples
To prove man's brotherhood.
We pledge our firm allegiance,
Our promise we renew;
Keep us, great God of nations,
To The Gambia ever true.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialAdopted at independence from Britain in 1965. The lyrics were written by Virginia Julie Howe, and the music is a traditional Mandinka melody adapted by her husband Jeremy Frederick Howe. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, a narrow strip of land along the Gambia River entirely surrounded by Senegal except for its Atlantic coastline.
Learn More
Sources & References
- About The Gambia: The Gambia National Anthem . The Official Website of The Government of The Gambia
- For The Gambia Our Homeland . en.wikipedia.org
Source & Review
- Source status
- Official source verified
- Translation
- AI-assisted working translation
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