Showing posts with label anthems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthems. Show all posts

Friday, 27 August 2021

14 Ethnic groups

The National Anthem of Afghanistan has an interesting history. Unless and until the Taliban reintroduce the anthem used from 1996 to 2001, the existing anthem written into the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2004, and confirmed by Loya Jirga in 2006, presumably holds. Article 20 of the Afghan constitution (2004) requires that the national anthem shall be in Pashto with the mention of "God is Greatest" (Allāhu Akbar) as well as the names of the ethnicities in Afghanistan. There are 14 of those, as you'll see:

This is the country of every tribe
Land of Baloochs, and Uzbeks
Pashtoons, and Hazaras
Turkman and Tajiks

With them, Arabs and Gojars
Pamirian, Nooristanian
Barahawi, and Qizilbash
Also Aimaq, and Pashaye

nationalanthems.info tells us "There has been some criticism of the anthem due to the stated conditions of composition, that the Pashto requirement places less importance on the other languages spoken in the country; that the phrase “Allāhu Akbar” should not be used in the anthem, as it is a sacred phrase in Islam and should not be set to music; and the ethnic groups mentioned in the anthem still do not represent the entire spectrum of nationalities in the country." But it's also different to many of the other 6 anthems since 1926 in espousing peace:

This land is Afghanistan
It is pride of every Afghan
The land of peace, the land of sword
Its sons are all braves

This Land will shine for ever
Like the sun in the blue sky
In the chest of Asia
It will remain as heart for ever

From 1992 to 1996 and again, post-Taliban, from 2002 to 2006 the anthem began:

Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia,
Forever free, soil of the Aryans,
Birthplace of great heroes
Fellow traveler of the warriors of the men of God

This is the Home of the Brave was, from 1996 to 2001, and presumably will now be, the Taliban anthem and contains lines such as:

We defend it with our blood, this is the home of the martyrs!
This is the home of the brave, this is the home of the brave!

And

Do you think it can be conquered? It is the home of the lions!
Once we were liberated from the British, we became a grave for the Russians!
Look at these numerous skulls, that's what was left by the Russians!

This is to be sung a capella, as Islamic scholarship prohibits musical instruments.

You may well think isn't for you but, in case you are interested, here's a performance:

If you ignore the context, I actually like it as a musical experience. In any case, you'll have read previous comments of mine about national anthems and my aversion to their jingoism ("Send her victorious", anyone?).

I'm looking forward to the post-Elizabethan UK anthem, celebrating our ethnic groups:

This is the country of every tribe
Land of Scots, and Ulstermen
Englishwomen, and the Welsh
Cornishmen and Lancastrians

With them, Scousers and Geordies
Celts, Saxons
Londoners, and Others
Also Fans of Ipswich Town, but not Norwich

I'll sing it to you if you like.

Saturday, 6 March 2021

St Piran's Day

Yesterday was St Piran's Day, celebrating all things Cornish. I received an email from Cornwall Council reminding me, and telling me that I could identify as Cornish nationality on the census form due in the next few days. I guess there are all kinds of options on the form for me to identify as. I'll let you know when it arrives.

cornishcottageholidays.co.uk tells me "Across Cornwall there are parades, dancing, singing and music to honour the Cornish patron saint.". Not so much where I live.

St Piran was a 4th/5th/6th [uncertain] century Irish abbot. He was exiled by the KIngs of Ireland and arrived near Newquay [where he no doubt enjoyed much carousing, as you do]. The place became Perranporth (Piran's Bay).

According to cornishcottageholidays.co.uk"St Piran was also known for liking a good drink, which is where the phrase ‘as drunk as a Perraner’ is believed to have come from. Legend has it he survived to the grand old age of 206 years old.". I always said Proper Job was a strong beer!

St Piran was involved in the discovery of tin and is therefore the patron saint of tin miners and, by extension, all miners and all of us in Cornwall. catholicreadings.org is unable to say when or by whom he was beatified.

Here's a group of my mates singing the Cornish National Anthem yesterday:
Stirring stuff, I think you will agree.

Thursday, 19 November 2020

Flags and anthems

I recently gave some examples of national flags and commented on their attractiveness (to me). Also I enjoy listening to, and talking about, national anthems. I grew up in a post war generation which was beginning to question issues of patriotism and reverence. I was always amazed in the cinema when people stood up for the national anthem. That seems odd nowadays but the country had recently fought and won against a terrible enemy and there was much communal pride.

I can't recall ever standing up for the national anthem. A young man has to make a stand, yes? I know, always a rebel...

Anthems have two aspects - music and words. Who can fail to be stirred by the music to the Welsh anthem (Gwlad, Gwlad)? Or La Marseillaise? In comparison, God Save the Queen is turgid. No, I'll go further. It's a dirge. Imagine trudging through mud. Thomas Arne's Rule Britannia is at least uplifting.

But here's the thing. We come to the words. "Britannia, rule the waves" is so meaningless that it can't be sung with any conviction. We don't even patrol the English Channel effectively, let alone rule any waves. So are we hooked on nostalgia? Obviously yes; but maybe all countries are.

But no, there are examples where a nation's anthem looks to the future:

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

Or elysian glories, as in this from Bangladesh:

My golden Bengal, I love you.
Forever thy skies, thy air set my heart in tune as if it were a flute,
O mother! The aroma of the mango orchard in Falgun drives me crazy,
Ah, what a thrill!
O mother! In Ogrohayon time sees sweet smiles all through mature fields of paddy.

Spare a thought for the Spanish, whose anthem has no words. Aha, no hostage to future fortune, then. Do their athletes hum their way through it? I checked on YouTube; their footballers just look embarrassed.

Which leads us back to the tunes. How many of us have fidgeted for what seems like hours hoping for the end of the Italian anthem, a symphonic movement of nearly two minutes. Nothing beats the  Uruguay anthem though (6 minutes). Thank goodness. At least God Save the Queen is over quickly.

But I digress; what about the flags? I previously lauded the flags of Kiribati


and Seychelles.

They are colourful and expressive of sunshine, expansiveness and hope.

To those I could add:

Belize


 Brazil


South Korea


Guatemala

They are at least interesting. Otherwise it's uninspiring stripes, crosses and blobs. I'll leave it to you to decide which you like best.