Uganda National Song
Young Vadlapatla
"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]
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.
Definition: A generally patriotic musical composition - usually in the form of a song or hymn of praise - that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, or struggles of a nation or its people. National anthems can be officially recognized as a national song by a country's constitution or by an enacted law, or simply by tradition. Although most anthems contain lyrics, some do not.
For REACH for Uganda the success was two-fold; first of all, getting to such a height raises the bar of excellence, but secondly, and most important, the competitions helped REACH students gain important self-esteem. REACH, as a model school, is striving to encourage all children that they can be anything- no matter their background. Therefore, to all the students/children of Bududa in particular, this was a great inspiration. REACH made it through four levels of competition: zonal, district, regional, and finally competed in nationals. These competitions were held as an elimination system. The competition began in late July with the zonal competition at Bumwalye. Arlington emerged in first place out of 13 schools and then went on to the district finals in Bududa the following week.
At the regional level, Arlington placed third, and the top three schools advanced to nationals in Kampala. This year students worked so hard to reach the top level. They trained morning and evening and this hard work paid off when Arlington represented all of Bududa District at the National Theatre in Kampala. The five-day national competition began on August 17th and concluded on the 21st.
Arlington performed different pieces, including: drama, poem, speech, original song and dance, traditional song, Western folk song, instrumental and sight reading. After a week of intense competition, Arlington took
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all were thrilled to reach Kampala, a first for many! However, Arlington staff and students could not have done all of this without the help and support of the sponsors who contributed the funds necessary to take the program as far as Kampala. As one can imagine, a large amount of money was required to take all the choir members and staff to Kampala for the competition- including funds for bus transportation, accommodations, food and other expenses. Therefore, this journey would not have been possible with the help of all the US sponsors and REACH Board. Thank you all for funding the music program at Arlington. It was such a proud moment to represent the whole Bududa District in Kampala. REACH for Uganda has an outstanding music program, thanks to the hard work from the teachers and students, and the generous funding from the U.S.
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