The anthem was written by schoolteacher Irva Merle Baptiste-Blackett. Also a music teacher, Baptiste-Blackett took part in the Independence Anthem Songwriting Competition in the early 1970s, with her submission being selected as the national anthem. During the 2009 Independence Celebrations, Baptiste-Blackett received Grenada's Camerhogne Silver Award for her writing of the national anthem.
"Hail Grenada" has been the national anthem of Grenada since independence from the United Kingdom in 1974. The words are by Irva Merle Baptiste-Blackett MBE (1924–2020), and the music is by Louis Arnold Masanto (born 1938).[1][2][3] It formally replaced the Grenada National State Anthem, written and adopted in 1967.
"La Dessalinienne" (French pronunciation: [la dɛs.salinjɛn]; Haitian Creole: "Desalinyèn"; English: "The Dessalines Song") is the national anthem of Haiti. This march was written by Justin Lhérisson and composed by Nicolas Geffrard.
"Jamaica, Land We Love" is the national anthem of Jamaica, officially adopted in July 1962. It was chosen after a competition from September 1961 to 31 March 1962, in which the lyrics of the national anthem were selected by Jamaica's Houses of Parliament. When Jamaica was granted independence on 6 August 1962, "Jamaica, Land We Love" continued to be officially used as the national anthem.
Prior to the declaration of the independence of Jamaica, Jamaica was made a West Indies Federation province of the British West Indies, still under the rule of the United Kingdom. The nation entered the federation under the rule of Premier Norman Manley, who also made various constitutional amendments to allow the process of decolonisation to rapidly take place. These amendments also allowed the country to have more self-governing powers and permitted the formation of a cabinet led by a premier. Premier Norman Manley's participation in the West Indies Federation was unpopular and led to the independence of the country on 6 August 1962, and the national anthem selected in July 1962 was officially used from that date.
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,[5] who preferred it to "L'Artibonitienne" by Capois diplomat Louis Edouard Pouget.
The anthem. was premiered at an October 1903 celebration of the Armée Indigène's entry into Port-au-Prince organised by the Association du Petit Théâtre. It was sung by Auguste de Pradines, also known as Kandjo. The text and music were printed at Bernard's in Port-au-Prince and distributed throughout the country during the week. It was officially adopted as the national anthem in 1904.
