The words to our National Anthem were written by Mr. Thomasi, father to Marcell Thomasi, former Director of Information. The music is an adaptaion of a traditional Kora tune, the name of which escapes me. Prince can fill in the blanks. Sidi Sanneh >From: joey goswell <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR. >Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 08:02:33 -0000 > >Essa > >You will be surprised to know that the author of the National Anthem was a >Gambian. I was once told that the late Rev J.C Faye was the author but this >has to be verified. Perhaps you could contact Alhagji Cham Joof or the >likes >of Prince O`brien Coker and Sidi Sanneh for clarification. > >It is a pity that you haven`t realised that "God" means Allah in Arabic.The >word "God"must have been used on the basis that it was written and always >sang in English. >The lyrics of our national anthem has shown no sign of embracing any >religious faith. Instead, it sounds universal and the question as to >whether >it has a christian value is out of the question. > >I would have agreed with you if the national anthem had mentioned the word >"lord" or Holy Spirit. > >On that note we look forward for clarification as to who the actual author >was. > > > > >>From: Elow Wole <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR. >>Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 17:05:30 -0000 >> >>Sister Jamila, >> >>With the same respects, I comment on your reply as ff: >> >>I am not talking about Spirituality, morality, or culture for that matter. >>This is about religion. You may be right about their existence, long >>before >>religion, but why did religion come about? We must have been steering >>off-course. >> >>The national anthem is preceded by slavery and colonialisation. I brought >>it up because I am sure not many of us knew who wrote it. I only hope it >>was someone Gambian. That composer is non-grata to this day. The >>national >>anthem is not part of the past you dwelling on. My guess is that it was >>non-existent prior to Feb '65 or April '70. So why not rewrite it? It is >>a >>nice piece, but the author is unknown. If we feed off it, I can only say >>we >>are headed in an unknown direction. What are your thoughts? >> >>Regards >>Essa >> >> >> >>>From: Jamila Allston <[log in to unmask]> >>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >>><[log in to unmask]> >>>To: [log in to unmask] >>>Subject: Re: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR. >>>Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 18:37:05 -0800 >>> >>>Brother Wole, >>> >>> With all due respect in this holy time of Ramadan, I must ask why do >>>we continue to deny who we are/were before the bringing about of Islam >>>and Christanity throughout Africa. Why does it always come down to a >>>war between Islam and Christanity? Didn't we as Africans have a >>>wonderful sense of Spirtutaliy, Morality and Cultural before the advent >>>of either religions? Why must we as Africans always have to deny our >>>African roots, culture and customs? What is so wrong with embracing >>>our African past and it's spirituality? And in our many African >>>societies, it was understood that we were embracing a universal >>>creator, regardless of the name that each group called him. >>> >>> These questions are asked with respect and sincerity. In fact, my >>>sons are Muslims and one is fasting for Ramadan. Yet as an African >>>born in America and brutality stripped of my African past via the >>>horrific slave trade (reprentative of millions of us), the question >>>becomes one of why bother trying to embrace my African past if these >>>are my only two alternatives; alternatives that also require the denial >>>of who we are/were as Africans prior to the acceptance of these >>>alternatives as the "correct" and "only" way of life. >>> >>> Peace >>> >>> Jamila >>> >>>________________________________________________________________________ >>> >>> >>>--- Elow Wole <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> > Whether motivated by greed, ethnicity, or simply, a lust for power, >>> > the >>> > quest for dominance is always prevalent in Africa, and the West >>> > alike. >>> > Surely, we're yet to be blessed with a true leader who understands >>> > the true >>> > meaning of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. >>> > >>> > Who can honestly claim that this cyber forum is "fruitful", and bears >>> > genuine results. Personally, I don't see the need to have 3,4,5,6, - >>> > infinite organisations all fighting for the same purpose. If one >>> > truly >>> > wants to be part of this change, one must consider going back home >>> > and have >>> > one's vote counted (I don't need to hear about ballot politics, for >>> > all I >>> > know, that's option #1). As citizens of The Gambia, let's be >>> > reminded once >>> > more to uphold the TRUE meaning of our national anthem, ..."Let >>> > JUSTICE >>> > guide our actions, towards the common good." Cyberchatting won't >>> > solve our >>> > problems. Instead, it spreads the rumours. As much as we recite our >>> > national anthem, has anyone ever stopped to think about who wrote it. >>> > Obviously, that person must have thought we are a Christian country. >>> > If I >>> > had to edit it, I would probably rewrite the whole script. One word >>> > I would >>> > definitely change is, " GOD to ALLAH." >>> > >>> > Happy Ramadan to EVERYONE! ... >>> > >>> > Essa >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >From: "MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE GAMBIA (UK)" >>> > > <[log in to unmask]> >>> > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >>> > ><[log in to unmask]> >>> > >To: [log in to unmask] >>> > >Subject: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR. >>> > >Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 03:39:13 -0000 >>> > > >>> > ><< Chairman_sofficialstatement(MRDGUK).doc >> >>> > >>> > >>>_____________________________________________________________________________________ >>> > Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : >>> > http://explorer.msn.com >>> > >>> > >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> > >>> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >>> > Gambia-L >>> > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>> > You may also send subscription requests to >>> > [log in to unmask] >>> > if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to >>> > write your full name and e-mail address. >>> > >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> >>>__________________________________________________ >>>Do You Yahoo!? >>>Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. >>>http://shopping.yahoo.com/ >>> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >>>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>>You may also send subscription requests to >>>[log in to unmask] >>>if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write >>>your >>>full name and e-mail address. >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>_____________________________________________________________________________________ >>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : >>http://explorer.msn.com >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>You may also send subscription requests to >>[log in to unmask] >>if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write >>your >>full name and e-mail address. >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >_____________________________________________________________________________________ >Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : >http://explorer.msn.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------