May her spirit rise high up May they remember their Creator; Nkosi, sikelel' iAfrika Chorus Your family. Yiva imithandazo yethu It was not until 2 May 1957 that government pronounced Die Stem as the official national anthem of South Africa. Nkosi Sikelela [9], In 1994, after the end of apartheid, the new President of South Africa Nelson Mandela declared that both "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" and the previous national anthem, "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" (English: "The Call of South Africa") would be national anthems. Protect South Africa, South Africa.[22]. Sontongaoriginally composed the hymn in B-flat major with a four-part harmony supporting a re… Later it became the anthem that was sung at political meetings, as an act of defiance, during the apartheid years. Yihla moya, yihla moya "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" was originally composed as a hymn in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a Methodist mission school near Johannesburg. The words of the first stanza and chorus were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. Seën ons, in Afrika The South African government adopted both songs as dual national anthems in 1994, when they were performed at Nelson Mandela's inauguration. Thina lusapho lwayo. The committee responsible for this new composition included Anna Bender, Elize Botha, Richard Cock, Dolf Havemann (Secretary), Mzilikazi Khumalo (Chairman), Masizi Kunene, John Lenake, Fatima Meer, Khabi Mngoma, Wally Serote, Johan de Villiers, and Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph.[2]. It was sung to close the Congress meeting in 1912, and by 1925 it had become the official closing anthem of the organisation, now known as the African National Congress. Lei ons tot by eenheid en begrip Sikelela abafundisi Zimoyike zezimhlouele, Because of its connection to the ANC, the song was banned by the regime during the apartheid era. In 1996, a shortened, combined version of the two compositions was released as the new national anthem of South Africa under the constitution of South Africa and was adopted the following year. And bless them. He based the melody on the hymn tune "Aberystwyth" by Joseph Parry. Solomon Plaatje, author and founding member of the ANC, was the first to have the song recorded in London, 1923. Lord bless us, your children.[22]. Kinders van Afrika CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, https://web.archive.org/web/20180601205935/http://www.nationalanthems.info/za-97b.htm, "An Anthem To Ignorance – The Case of 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, "How many national athems are plagiarised? O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, Descend, O Spirit Outside of Africa, the hymn is perhaps best known as the long-time (since 1925) anthem of the African National Congress (ANC), as a result of the global anti-Apartheid Movement of the 1970s and 1980s, when it was regularly sung at meetings and other events. Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo, Lord bless Africa [4] The words of the first stanza and chorus were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. This is the official version of the national anthem, combining Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika and Die Stem / The Call of South Africa. Descend O Spirit Malupnakanyisw' udumo lwayo; [22], The South African national anthem as it appears specified in the South African, "National anthem of South Africa" (instrumental). Fear Him and revere Him, Nkosi Sikelela Nkosi Sikelela Sikelela iNkosi zetu; Ulisikelele. When apartheid came to an end in the early 1990s, the future of "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" was called into question. The practice of having two national anthems proved to be a cumbersome arrangement as performing both of them took as much as five minutes. Setshaba sa, South Afrika, South Afrika. Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission teacher; seven additional stanzas were added in 1927 by poet Samuel Mqhayi. Like all choral performance, from singing a hymn to chanting at a football match, it involves communal participation and interaction. Die Stem van Suid-Afrika/The Call of South Africa was written by C.J. It was sung as an act of defiance during the apartheid years. Ubasikelele. Nkosi Sikelela It was won by Axali Doeseb, who wrote "Namibia, Land of the Brave" which was officially adopted on the first anniversary of the country's independence, in 1991. Rev. Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika Nkosi Sikelel, Afrika; According to David Coplan Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was first publicly sung in 1899 at the ordination ceremony of the Reverend M. Boweni, who became the first Tsonga clergyman in the Methodist Mission Church. Hoor ons as ons in gebede vra [8] For decades during the apartheid regime it was considered by many to be the unofficial national anthem of South Africa, representing the suffering of the oppressed masses. He based the melody on the hymn tune 'Aberystwyth' by Joseph Parry. Bless also the youth He based the melody on the hymn tune "Aberystwyth" by Joseph Parry. [2], "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" was originally composed as a hymn in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a Methodist mission school near Johannesburg. Cima bonk' ubugwenza bayo It became a popular church hymn that was later adopted as an anthem at political meetings. In 1927 seven additional Xhosa stanzas[5] were added by the poet Samuel Mqhayi. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was popularised at concerts held in Johannesburg by Reverend JL Dube’s Ohlange Zulu Choir. It includes versions in Chichewa (Malawi and Zambia). Lord we ask You to protect our nation, "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (Xhosa pronunciation: [ŋkʼɔsi sikʼɛlɛl‿iafrikʼa], lit. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. In South Africa our land. [14] During the drafting of the new national anthem, it was requested by South African president Nelson Mandela that it be no more than 1 minute and 48 seconds in length. Below are the various versions and translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Hear thou our prayers Some claim the melody is based on the hymn "Aberystwyth" by Joseph Parry,[3] understanding The first two lines of the first verse of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika are sung in Nelson Mandela's native Xhosa, with the second two lines in Zulu. Maak ons van ons sondelewe vry The second is ‘Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (The Call of South Africa)’, which was the country’s national anthem during Apartheid. From the late 1940s to the early 1990s, South Africa was governed by a system known as apartheid, a widely condemned system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that was based on white supremacy and the repression of the black majority for the benefit of the politically and economically dominant Afrikaner minority and other whites. [11], For the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Morné du Plessis suggested that the Springboks learn all the words of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", and "they did so with great feeling", according to their instructor Anne Munnik.[12]. Over our everlasting mountains, Nkosi sikelela, Descend, O Holy Spirit Daal neer, o Gees, Heilige Gees The school choir traveled extensively, increasing the popularity of the hymn and in 1912 the choir sang a rendition of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika at the founding meeting of the South African Native National Congress in Bloemfontein, where Dr Dube was elected as the first President-General of the organisation that would go on to become the African National Congress (ANC). Lord bless us Chorus Seën ons, in Afrika May her glory be lifted high,[22]. The fact that it shifts (modulates) and ends in a different key (from G major to D major), a feature it shares with the Italian and the Philippine national anthems,[3] makes it compositionally unusual. (Repeat). The words of the first stanza and chorus were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. The South African national anthem is often referred to by its incipit of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", but this has never been its official title, which is simply "National anthem of South Africa". Zalisa ilizwe nempilo "South Africa Will Play Two Anthems Hereafter", "The South African National Anthem: a history on record", "South Africa – National Anthem of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika/Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika)", "The national anthem is owned by everyone", "Symbols/The New South Africa; The First Emblems of Unity: A Little Something for Everyone", "THE SOUTH AFRICAN VOTE: THE VOTING; Blacks Seizing Their Moment: Liberation Day", "Johannesburg Journal;Will Rugby Embrace, or Crush, a Dainty Flower? Of education and mutual It became a popular church hymn that was later adopted as an anthem at political meetings, sung as an act of defiance. [10] "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" was composed by a Methodist school teacher named Enoch Sontonga in 1897. British musicologist Nicholas Cook states: "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" has a meaning that emerges from the act of performing it. Zimbabwe and … Where the echoing crags resound,[22], Sounds the call to come together, At the first meeting of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), the forerunner of the African National Congress (ANC), Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was immediately sung after the closing prayer. Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho Iwayo. Seën ons Here God, seën Afrika From the depths of our seas, The first stanza is generally sung in isiXhosa or isiZulu, followed by the Sesotho version. Endue them with Thy Spirit Gzota zonk'indlala nezifo;