Gaumii salaam
Encyclopedia
Qaumii Salaam is the current national anthem
of the Maldives
. The lyrics
were written by Muhammad Jameel Didi
in 1948, and the melody
was composed by Sri Lanka
n maestro
Pandit Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amaradeva
in 1972.
Qaumii Salaam is a proud declaration of national unity, the country's Islamic faith, the victory of historic battles and an homage
to the heroes who fell defending the nation. It also wishes further development
on the country, while paying respect to the leaders who had served her.
. Soon after it was decided that the Salaamathi needed lyrics accompanied by a new melody. The lyrics were written by a young poet
and later chief justice
, Mohamed Jameel Didi.
Jameel Didi wrote the words for the new Salaamathi bearing in mind the influence of Urdu
poetry during the time, closely imitating its style and also furnishing his work with words borrowed from Arabic
. Afterwards, Jameel Didi began looking for a tune to accompany his poem when he heard the noon chime
(Auld Lang Syne
) of his uncle's clock. The tune was adopted to the lyrics and the new Salaamathi was complete.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Maldivians became more aware of the importance of a national anthem and in 1972, shortly before the Maldives was visited by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
, the government
hastily commissioned maestro W. D. Amaradeva for a new melody for the anthem. The original lyrics were retained, with a few changes to emphasize the fact that Maldives has been a republic
since 1968. As of 2007, this version of the anthem has survived without any modifications.
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
were written by Muhammad Jameel Didi
Muhammad Jameel Didi
Al Sheikh Muhammad Jameel Didi popularly known as Jameel Didi was a Maldivian political figure and poet who was famous for his writings and speeches. He was born on 1 May 1915 to Abdullah Kamaaludhin the Attorney General and Fenfoa'gan'duvaru Aminaa Didi...
in 1948, and the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
was composed by Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n maestro
Maestro
Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...
Pandit Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amaradeva
Pandith Amaradeva
Wannakuwatta Mitiwaduge Don Albert Perera , better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, is a Sri Lankan vocalist and musical composer...
in 1972.
Qaumii Salaam is a proud declaration of national unity, the country's Islamic faith, the victory of historic battles and an homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the heroes who fell defending the nation. It also wishes further development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
on the country, while paying respect to the leaders who had served her.
History
Until 1948, a melody without lyrics called the 'Salaamathi' was performed by a royal band on state occasions at the 'Etherekoilu', the residence of the SultanSultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. Soon after it was decided that the Salaamathi needed lyrics accompanied by a new melody. The lyrics were written by a young poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and later chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
, Mohamed Jameel Didi.
Jameel Didi wrote the words for the new Salaamathi bearing in mind the influence of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poetry during the time, closely imitating its style and also furnishing his work with words borrowed from Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. Afterwards, Jameel Didi began looking for a tune to accompany his poem when he heard the noon chime
Chime
-Musical instrument or tone:* Chime , an array of large bells, typically housed in a tower and played from a keyboard.** An instrument of this kind with 23 bells or more is known as a carillon...
(Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
) of his uncle's clock. The tune was adopted to the lyrics and the new Salaamathi was complete.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Maldivians became more aware of the importance of a national anthem and in 1972, shortly before the Maldives was visited by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
hastily commissioned maestro W. D. Amaradeva for a new melody for the anthem. The original lyrics were retained, with a few changes to emphasize the fact that Maldives has been a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
since 1968. As of 2007, this version of the anthem has survived without any modifications.
External links
- The Maldives National Defence Force website features a vocal audio and a video version of the National Anthem.
- The Maldives Royal Family website has a page on the anthem, including a midi file version.
- http://users.atw.hu/szbszig/maldive%20islands.mp3