The Star Spangled Banner in Chamorro

President Bill Clinton stopped by Guam to support the local Democrats for the 2000 election. A crowd of 25,000 people showed up.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• US
• national
• anthem
• in
• different
• language

[UncleTote]

Kuraku, maybe you're not aware of the fact that Guam suffered through three years of a brutal Japanese occupation in WWII. The old folks here know the meaning of the song better than most mainland Americans because they lived through it and the subsequent liberation of Guam. Our island lost more sons per capita in Vietnam than any state, and Guamanians remain fiercely loyal to the U.S. In my mind, that makes our people qualifed to hear the Star Spangled Banner in their own language.

[UncleTote]

Bookworm got that right about Chamorro being a lyrical language. The song definitely sings better in our language, with all due respect to Francis Scott Key. Guam manamko lived through what the song is about during the Japanese WW II occupation and subsequent liberation. They deserve to hear the National Anthem in Chamorro.

[ayabiefan13]

What year was this?

[UncleTote]

Now that I think about it, it was during the 1998 gubenatorial race. There's a blog about it on my music page at myspace. Look for totestunes on myspace and go to the blogs section. Or see it on facebook. YouTube won't let me post a link here...how archaic. You can also see the blog on my facebook Joe Cunningham page.

[nbbrauner64]

Biba Guahan!

[MrRoadlesstraveled]

AI YU'OS!!! PA'GU NA TAYÅGAI HIT.

[6guy7from1guam]

@C4GIF we didnt attack Pearl Harbor, SILLY GOOSE

[manacaster]

Nicely done! No matter the language, the meaning is still the same. God bless the United States and all her people.

[C4GIF]

Is he telling, that they will attack Pearl Harbour again?

[puihua75]

saludos de chile... no se si entiendan, pero igual... viva el castellano, biba el chamorro

[THENEWEGO2]

BIBA GUTIERREZ!!

[kuraku3]

I guess the Americanization of guam is even more complete, now that we have sung the USA national anthem in our own native language. Would native americans sing the anthem in their own native tongues? Would native hawaiians? Singing it in Chamorro makes no sense. Anyone else share my opinion?

[karelin11]

@ABookwormAndProud I'm so bored and sick to hear any songs in English. I mas maolek ta hungok giya kantan pasifiku. Lengau8hen alien yan baba' i lenguahen ingles, taiguihi ti malago yu hungok na fa'fino' Ingles.