Ugandan National Anthem
Laurence Jabali
"Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty" is the national anthem of Uganda. George Wilberforce Kakoma composed the music and authored the lyrics. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1962, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. It is musically one of the shortest national anthems in the world. Consequently, multiple verses are sung when it is performed in public.
From 1894 until the height of decolonisation during the 1960s, Uganda was a protectorate of the United Kingdom within its colonial empire.[1][2] In the run up to independence, a subcommittee was formed to determine an anthem for the forthcoming state.[3] It proceeded to hold a nationwide contest,[4] with the criteria they stipulated for the anthem being that it should be "short, original, solemn, praising and looking forward to the future".[3]
In the end, the lyrics and tune composed by George Wilberforce Kakoma were selected in July 1962.[3] He wrote the anthem in one day, having listened on Radio Uganda the night before about how none of the entries received so far had been deemed suitable by the subcommittee.[3] His entry was one of four that was shortlisted.[5] The song was officially adopted in 1962, the year the country gained independence.[4][6] The first public occasion where the anthem was played was at the celebrations marking independence on 9 October 1962.[1][5]
Kakoma subsequently sued the government in 2008, claiming that he was never adequately remunerated and thus had rights to over four decades of royalty payments.[5][7] He alleged that the government gave him a mere USh.2,000/=,[5][7] equivalent to less than 1 in 2008, as a "token of thanks".[7] Kakoma died before the country's Court of Appeal dismissed the case in 2019, finding that the anthem's copyright vested in the government and not the author.[5]
At only eight bars long,[A] "Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty" is musically one of the shortest national anthems in the world,[14][15] together with Japan's anthem.[16] Both Michael Bristow, the editor of the book National Anthems of the World,[17] and Philip Sheppard have identified Uganda's national anthem as the shortest.[18][19] As a result, multiple verses are typically sung when it is performed at public events like international football games.[14][20]
On appeal Kakoma insisted that he owned the copyright. He denied that he had been commissioned to write the national anthem, pointing out that there had never been a contract between the parties. He further denied that he had assigned the copyright to the authorities, making the point that assignments have to be in writing and no document had ever been signed.
But the Court of Appeal found against Kakoma, who had died by the time the judgment was delivered. Lady Justice Elizabeth Musoke, JA, applied the present Ugandan copyright law, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act 2006. The judge did not make reference to previous copyright laws, even though the present law does state that rights acquired under previous copyright laws are retained. The judge said that Section 8(2) of the legislation provides that where a person creates a work under the control of the government the copyright belongs to the government unless otherwise agreed, even if the moral rights remain with the individual. Moreover, as 50 years have passed since its first performance (at the independence celebrations in 1962), copyright in the anthem had expired.
Your web browser appears to currently have javascript disabled. This means that there are many elements of our website, such as previewing music and the shopping cart function, that will not work as intended.
Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty" is the Ugandan national anthem. It was adopted in 1962, with words and music by George Wilberforce Kakoma. The anthem is one of the shortest in the world, and is occasionally performed twice in a row to lengthen it. Japan has the shortest.
Need an anthem fast? They are ALL in my store!All my anthem arrangements are also available for Orchestra, Recorders, Saxophones, Wind, Brass and Flexible band. If you need an anthem urgently for an instrumentation not in my store, let me know via e-mail, and I will arrange it for you FOC if possible! keitht...@gmail.com
Your are not signed in, but your email address is required in case we need to contact you about this review. Your email address will not be displayed publically or shared with the publisher of this music.
At Kololo airstrip on the night leading to October 9, 1962, Ugandans watched in ecstatic ambiance as the British flag was lowered. The new Uganda flag was raised to euphoric cheers. Then, the Uganda national anthem was played for its very first time as the official representation of Uganda.
Up to today, some Ugandans do not appreciate their linkage to national values and patriotism. In the build-up to our 61st Independence Anniversary, New Vision will narrate the origin, history, controversy and impact of our national symbols. Today, Joseph Batte delves deep into the origins of anthems including that of Uganda.
While it may seem like just another song, the National Anthem is way more than just a musical warm-up exercise. It is the ultimate theme song for a country, and its importance goes far beyond getting us to stand up and put our hands on our hearts.
The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European nations tend towards more ornate and operatic pieces, while those in the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean use a more simplistic fanfare.
According to Britannica Encyclopedia, the oldest national anthem in use today is the one of the Netherlands, known as the Wilhelmus. Written between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch revolt, it was already a popular orangist hymn during the 17th century, though it would take until 1932 for it to be officially recognised as the Dutch national anthem. But if we were to consider when the anthem was officially designated as the national song, then La Marseillaise of France would be the first because it was adopted by the French National Convention in 1796.
Anthems began with monarchies who adopted royal songs, some of which have survived into current use. For example, the anthem of the UK and the Commonwealth realms, God Save the King/Queen, was first performed in 1619.
It is probably the French July revolution, after coopting La Marseillaise in 1830, that newly formed nations started to define themselves in song, that became national anthems. For example, the Latin American wars of independence yielded anthem after anthem for Argentina (1813), Peru (1821) and Brazil (1831). But the custom of an officially adopted national anthem became popular in the 19th century, often as patriotic songs long before their designation as national anthems.
The Olympic Charter of 1920 introduced the ritual of playing the national anthems of the gold medal winners during the Olympic games. This created an incentive for such nations that did not yet have an officially defined national anthem to introduce one. The US adopted the patriotic song The Star-Spangled Banner as a national anthem in 1931. Following this, several nations moved to adopt popular patriotic songs as official national anthem.
By the period of decolonisation in the 1960s, it had become common practice for newly independent nations to adopt an official national anthem. Countries preparing for independence were compelled to get anthems and specifically commissioned committees to come out with the anthems.
Before Uganda had its own anthem, it was all about the British national anthem where all who sang it prayed for the British monarch. From 1894 to 1962, Uganda was under British rule, and so, sang: God Save the King/Queen.
In September 1745, Prince Charles defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. When the news of the defeat reached London, the royalists, in a fit of patriotic fervor, started to sing the hymn.
This practice soon spread to other theatres, and the custom of greeting monarchs with the song as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was thus established. The song spread among those loyal to King George II. It came to be known as the National Anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
When Britain expanded its empire, its presence was symbolised by the anthem and flag (Union Jack). Uganda became a protectorate of the British Empire in 1894 after the Imperial British East Africa Company transferred its administration rights of territory consisting mainly of the Kingdom of Buganda to the British government.
In 1894 the Uganda Protectorate was established, and the territory was extended beyond the borders of Buganda to an area that roughly corresponds to that of present-day Uganda. The British came with governance symbols, which included the anthem.
While the British anthem was sang throughout the protectorate, kingdoms were told to develop their own anthems. For example, Buganda came up with Kitibwa Kya Buganda, Ankole with Ensi Yaitu Nkore, Toro had Agutamba, Bunyoro with Kitara Tukugonza, and Busoga had Tuli bankabi inhyo.
It was not just about creating a catchy tune; it was about composing a musical masterpiece that would capture the spirit, culture, and aspirations of the Ugandan people as they embarked on this new chapter in their history.
A sub-committee, headed by Prof. Senteza Kajubi, hatched a genius plan. They decided to spread the word far and wide, like an old-school public relations campaign, to get Ugandans involved. (File photo)
Just to add a bit of musical spark, it had to be harmonised in the usual four parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass! Advertisements were strategically placed in local newspapers, including Uganda Empya, Uganda Eyogera, the Uganda Herald, and the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
The primary responsibility of the committee was to collect and assess all submitted entries, ultimately determining the most exceptional contribution. The final decision regarding the reward for the chosen winner rested with the cabinet.
c80f0f1006