Salāmathī
| English: Safety | |
|---|---|
| Dhivehi: ސަލާމަތީ | |
 | |
National anthem of the  Sultanate of Maldives | |
| Also known as | Salaamathi |
| Lyrics | Muhammad Jameel Didi, 1948 |
| Adopted | 1940 |
| Audio sample | |
Salāmathī | |
Salāmathī (/sæ.lɑːmæ.ðiː/ sa-LAH-ma-THEE, Dhivehi: ސަލާމަތީ, romanized: Salaamathee) was the national anthem of the Sultanate of the Maldive Islands. It was adopted on 1948.
Salāmathī, commonly known as Salaamathi is the earliest known national anthem of Maldives.[1] The word "Salaamathi" means "Safety" in Dhivehi language.
Until 1972, the Salaamathi was used as the national anthem of the Republic of Maldives.
History[edit]
Salāmathī the state anthem of the Maldives, it was a melody with no lyrics and was performed by the royal band on state occasions at the Etherekoilu, the official residence of the King of Twelve Thousand Isles and Sultan of the Maldive Islands in Malé. On most occasions the Salaamathi would be preceded by a seven-gun salute fired from the Aa-Kotte Buruzu bastion within the Etherekoilu.[2]
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.[3][1]
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 Sri Lankan maestro W. D. Amaradeva for a new melody for the anthem.[3][2][4] The original lyrics were retained, with a few changes to emphasise the fact that Maldives had been a republic since 1968.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Recording of the week: A different kind of national anthem". British Library. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Maldive national anthem". Máldive Royal Family. 2004. Archived from the original on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2004.
- ^ a b The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2012. p. 461. ISBN 9780160911422.
- ^ R. K. Radhakrishnan (28 June 2011). "India honours doyen of modern Sinhala music". The Hindu. Colombo. Retrieved 25 April 2013.