Burkina Faso
Une Seule Nuit
A Single Night
1984
1984
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
🔥 Revolution 🗽 Independence 🤝 Unity |
Context
Written by Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary leader who renamed Upper Volta to Burkina Faso ('Land of the Upright People') in 1984. Sankara, often called 'Africa's Che Guevara,' composed both lyrics and music himself. The anthem reflects his Marxist revolutionary ideology and Pan-African vision. Despite his assassination in 1987, the anthem has remained unchanged.
Lyrics
Contre la férule humiliante il n'y a pas
De consentement,
A la misère pas de trêve;
Libertaires et progressistes
Conjugons ensemble nos efforts,
Pour la Patrie en marche vers son indépendance.
Une Seule Nuit a rassemblé en nous
L'histoire de tout un peuple.
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Interesting facts
- • Thomas Sankara, one of Africa's most iconic revolutionary leaders, personally wrote both the lyrics and composed the music for this anthem
- • The title 'A Single Night' refers to the night of the 1983 coup that brought Sankara to power and transformed the country
- • Burkina Faso means 'Land of the Upright People,' combining words from Moore, Dyula, and Fulfulde languages to represent the country's diversity