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Comoros

Umodja wa Massiwa

The Union of the Islands

1978
1978
Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane
Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane and Kamildine Abdallah
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Key Facts

  • 1. The Constitution of the Union of the Comoros, in Article 9, names the anthem Umodja wa Massiwa and lists Shikomori, French and Arabic as the three official languages of the republic.
  • 2. Lyricist Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane co-composed the melody with Kamildine Abdallah, an attribution confirmed by W. L. Reed and M. J. Bristow's National Anthems of the World (1985).
  • 3. The anthem replaced Ungwana, also known as Comor Masiwa Mane (Four Comorian Islands), which had been adopted in 1976 under Ali Soilih after a competition won by writer and musician Abou Chihabi.
  • 4. The spelling of the title has shifted with each constitution: Ouzima wa Massiwa in 1978, Udzima wa Masiwa in 1992, Umodja wa Masiwa in 2001, and the current Umodja wa Massiwa from the 2009 and 2013 revisions.
Comoros - Umodja wa Massiwa

Lyrics

Beramu isi pepeza I nadi ukombozi piya Ye daula ivenuha Hasibabu yahe dini voya tsangaya hunu Komoriya Narikeni yamahaba ya huvendza ya masiwa yatru Wasiwa Komoro damu ndzima Wasiwa Komoro dini ndzima Ya masiwa razaliwa Ya masiwa yarileya Mola nde yari sayidiya Narike niya ndzima Rivendze uwatwaniya Mahaba ya dini na duniya. Beramu isi pepeza Rangu mwezi sita wa Juiye Ye daula ivenuha Zisiwa zatru zi katruha Maoré na Ndzuani, Mwali na Ngazidja Narikeni yamahaba ya huvendza ya masiwa.

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Analysis

Editorial

Adopted in 1978 after the coup that brought Ahmed Abdallah back to power, the anthem replaced the short-lived Ungwana that had served the revolutionary government of Ali Soilih. Article 9 of the Constitution names it Umodja wa Massiwa, Comorian for The Union of the Islands. The lyrics roll-call all four islands of the historic archipelago: Maore, Ndzuani, Mwali and Ngazidja, even though Maore (Mayotte) remains under French administration. The text was written by the Comorian poet Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane, who composed the music together with Kamildine Abdallah.

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Sources & References

  1. Symboles de l'Etat . Beit-Salam, Présidence de l'Union des Comores
  2. Comoros 2018 Constitution, Article 9 . Constitute Project (2018)
  3. W. L. Reed and M. J. Bristow. National Anthems of the World . Blandford Press (1985)

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