National Anthem Comparison
Guinea vs Guinea-Bissau
3
Shared themes
✓
Same mood
5
5 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, both Africa nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Guinea's "Liberty" was written in 1958, while Guinea-Bissau's "This Is Our Beloved Homeland" dates to 1963.
Both anthems share themes of independence, unity and ancestors / heritage. Guinea additionally explores freedom, while Guinea-Bissau also touches on battle / war and nature.
Both anthems carry a defiant tone, creating a similar emotional register despite their geographic distance.
Shared themes
Guinea
🕊 Freedom 🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Guinea-Bissau
🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity ⚔ Battle / War 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 🌿 Nature
Shared themes:
🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Metadata
| Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1958 | 1963 |
| Adopted | 1958 | 1974 |
| Lyricist | Fodéba Keita | Amilcar Cabral |
| Composer | Fodéba Keita (after a traditional song) | Xiao He |
| Language | fr | pt |
| Region | West Africa | West Africa |
Lyrics Side by Side
Guinea
Liberté
Original
Peuple d'Afrique
Le Passé historique
Que chante l'hymne de la Guinée fière et jeune
Illustre épopée de nos frères
Morts au champ d'honneur en libérant l'Afrique !
Le Peuple de Guinée prêchant l'unité
Appelle l'Afrique.
Liberté ! C'est la voix d'un Peuple
Qui appelle tous ses frères de la grande Afrique.
Liberté ! C'est la voix d'un peuple
Qui appelle tous ses frères à se retrouver.
Bâtissons l'unité africaine
Dans l'indépendance recouvrée.
Translation
People of Africa,
The historic past
Sung by the anthem of Guinea, proud and young,
Illustrious epic of our brothers
Who died on the field of honor freeing Africa!
The People of Guinea, preaching unity,
Calls out to Africa.
Liberty! It is the voice of a People
Calling all its brothers of great Africa.
Liberty! It is the voice of a people
Calling all its brothers to come together again.
Let us build African unity
In our regained independence.
Guinea-Bissau
Esta É a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada
Original
Sol, suor e o verde e mar,
Séculos de dor e esperança;
Esta é a terra dos nossos avós!
Fruto das nossas mãos,
Da flor do nosso sangue:
Esta é a nossa pátria amada.
[Chorus]
Viva a pátria gloriosa!
Floriu nos céus a bandeira de luta.
Avante, contra o jugo estrangeiro!
Nós vamos construir
Na pátria imortal
A paz e o progresso!
Ramos do mesmo tronco,
Olhos na mesma luz:
Esta é a força da nossa união!
Cantem o mar e a terra
A madrugada e o sol
Que a nossa luta fecundou.
[Chorus]
Translation
Sun, sweat, and the green and sea,
Centuries of pain and hope;
This is the land of our ancestors!
Fruit of our hands,
Of the flower of our blood:
This is our beloved homeland.
[Chorus]
Long live the glorious fatherland!
The banner of struggle has blossomed in the skies.
Forward, against the foreign yoke!
We shall build
In the immortal fatherland
Peace and progress!
Branches of the same trunk,
Eyes upon the same light:
This is the strength of our union!
Let the sea and the land sing,
The dawn and the sun,
That our struggle has made fruitful.
[Chorus]
Interesting facts
Guinea
- 1. Guinea was the only French colony in Africa to reject de Gaulle's 1958 referendum, choosing immediate independence; France withdrew all support in retaliation
- 2. The anthem strongly emphasizes Pan-African solidarity, reflecting President Sékou Touré's vision of continental African unity
- 3. The melody comes from a popular song in honour of Alpha Yaya Diallo, the ruler of Labé who resisted French rule and was deported to Mauritania; before the 1958 referendum the griot Djély Mamadou Kandé reworked it to rally supporters of the 'No' vote
- 4. Fodéba Keita, who gave the song its present form, founded the troupe that became Les Ballets Africains, which played some 170 European cities in the early 1950s. After independence he served as a minister under Sékou Touré, but in 1969 he was arrested, held at Camp Boiro and executed
Guinea-Bissau
- 1. The music comes from China: a delegation from Portuguese Guinea heard one of Xiao He's songs there and asked him for music to inspire the struggle for independence.
- 2. Guinea-Bissau kept the original shared anthem after Cape Verde adopted a new one in 1996, making it the sole custodian of a song once meant to unite two nations.
- 3. The anthem is sung in Portuguese, the colonial language, rather than in Crioulo (the widely spoken creole) or any of the country's indigenous languages like Balanta or Fula.
- 4. Guinea-Bissau has experienced multiple coups since independence, the first in November 1980, yet the anthem has never been changed.
Listen
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
