La Dessalinienne
"La Dessalinienne" (French pronunciation: [la dɛs.salinjɛn]; Haitian Creole: "Desalinyèn"; English: "The Dessalines Song") is the national anthem of Haiti. It was written by Justin Lhérisson and composed by Nicolas Geffrard.[1][2]
English: The Song of Dessalines | |
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National anthem of | |
Lyrics | Justin Lhérisson, 1903 |
Music | Nicolas Geffrard, 1903 |
Adopted | January 1, 1904 |
Audio sample | |
"La Dessalinienne" (instrumental, one verse)
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Etymology
"La Dessalinienne" is named in honor of Haiti's revolutionary leader and first ruler Jean-Jacques Dessalines.[3]
History
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Haitian Revolution, a competition was held for a national anthem in 1903. The poetic words of Justin Lhérisson and martial composition of Nicolas Geffrard won over the judges, which led to its official adoption as the national anthem in 1904.[4][5]
The 1903 premiere of the composition was sung by Auguste de Pradines, also known as Kandjo.[6]:47
As a one verse rendition can be relatively short, a common way to lengthen a performance is to perform an abridged arrangement consisting of the first verse immediately followed by the last one.[7]
Unofficial variant
There is a Haitian Creole version that was created by Raymond A. Moise. Ansy Dérose, a Haitian singer, helped popularize it. Although it became widely accepted, the 1987 Haitian Constitution makes no mention of this particular version.[1]
Lyrics
French (official) |
English translation of the French version | Creole version (unofficial) |
English translation of the Creole version |
---|---|---|---|
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres, |
For the country, |
Pou Ayiti peyi Zansèt yo |
For Haiti, the Country of the Ancestors |
References
- "Haitian Patriotic Songs". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- Malena Kuss. Music in Latin America and the Caribbean: Volume 2 Performing the Caribbean Experience - An Encyclopedic History. The Universe of Music Inc. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-292-70951-5.
- Olsen, Dale A.; Sheehy, Daniel E. (2014). "The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music". p. 139. ISBN 9780415961011. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Hall, Michael R. (2012). "Historical Dictionary of Haiti". p. 182. ISBN 9780810878105. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- Haitian National Anthem : La Dessalinienne
- Averill, Gage (1997). A day for the hunter, a day for the prey: Popular music and power in Haiti. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226032931.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3fvFPIMYs0