Jana Gana Mana sung two ways

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One of the things that marks me as an ABD is the fact that the Indian national anthem leaves me cold. Largely that’s because I don’t identify as an Indian politically, but it’s also in part because most national anthems don’t move me. The Star Spangled Banner, for example, is a horrible song. I feel something when I hear it only because I am an American and am conditioned to do so, but honestly I’d far rather have a song like the Marseillaise which is actually catchy.

The first rendition of Jana Gana Mana is sung phonetically by Kenyans who make it sound a bit like church music – it loses the rhythm that it has when Indians sing it, but it becomes etherial and quite haunting (courtesy Chick Pea):

The second rendition is A.R. Rehman’s bombastic cover, as if John Phillip Sousa decided to set a lullaby to 24 tubas:

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Do you guys have a favorite version of the anthem? How about the other regional national anthems (none of which I know) – Pakistan? Bangladesh? Lanka? Nepal? Afghanistan? Feel free to share youtube links but no rickrolling please …

112 thoughts on “Jana Gana Mana sung two ways”

  9. A Nobel Laureate poet……I guess he does not cut your muster.

    Since I don’t know Bengali, I can’t follow the meaning of the words, and the tune does not excite me at all.

    Furthermore, at the time the poem was widely believed to have been composed in honor of the visiting British monarch, and so again, it doesn’t move me as an anthem for free India:

    The poem was composed in December 1911, precisely at the time of the Coronation Durbar of George V, and is considered by some to be a paean in praise of “the overlord of India’s destiny”. The composition was first sung during a convention of the then loyalist Indian National Congress in Calcutta on Dec. 27, 1911.[6] It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India. The event was reported thus in the Indian press: “The Bengali poet Babu Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor.” (Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911) “The proceedings began with the singing by Babu Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him in honour of the Emperor.” (Englishman, Dec. 28, 1911) “When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress began on Wednesday 27th December 1911, a Bengali song in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted unanimously.” (Indian, Dec. 29, 1911) [Link]

    Lastly, Naipaul also won a Nobel prize in Literature, but that doesn’t mean that I am going to like everything Naipaul writes …

  10. Whats with the military lyrics? whats with “irrigating fields with impure blood”? Somehow it doesnt quite match my image of France/ummm and the french “army”.

    The French revolution was quite bloody and this was a revolutionary anthem. There has to be a better recording of it than that though …

  11. Furthermore, at the time the poem was widely believed to have been composed in honor of the visiting British monarch, and so again, it doesn’t move me as an anthem for free India:

    Still verdict is out whether Tagore wrote the poem for King George’s visit, or it was song of love, which he gave the organizers to use at the occasion. Also, it was very early on used by Congress as a rallying cry, besides Vande Mantaram. The song clearly spells out Tagore’s concept of India, long before it was formed as an independent country. However, there is lot of discussion about the original intentions of the song……even the meaning of the word, “Vidhata” in the anthem. Who is the Vidhata in the anthem? Vidhata means god, and is clearly above King George V.

    Rabindra Nath Tagore is known all over the world for his lyrical poems (amongst many other things), Naipaul is known for scathing observations, and putting a big knife in what he sees……they are as opposite as two men of letters will ever be.

  12. Still verdict is out whether Tagore wrote the poem for King George’s visit, or it was song of love, which he gave the organizers to use at the occasion.

    Either way, he gave it to be used in praise of King George and that was its first major public use. This just makes me less inclined to identify with it.

  13. i was born and brought up in nepal, the then national anthem was in praise of the king:

    “shree paanch sarkar maharajadhiraj ko sada rahos unnati (may the king, our lord always prosper)

    rakhun chirayu ish le, praja phailiyos pukaroun jay prem le (may god give him a long life and the wide-spread kingdom may sing with love)

    haami nepali saara le (we are all nepalis)

    …i hear it has changed now what with the regime change and all

  14. The French revolution was quite bloody and this was a revolutionary anthem. There has to be a better recording of it than that though …

    I guess this is where patriotism collides with violence. A national anthem is more about loving one’s own country and less about hating another person/country/”impure-blood-type”.

    If you want something to “rouse the troops” keep it separate. (like Vande Mataram is more of a war cry than an anthem) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj1Iy4nRMkc (Original?)

    Sadly I heard nothing about the beauty of France in that anthem. Sure it was catchy, but so is “my humps”

  16. The part about the composition being made for King George V is a highly debatable point, there are reports that the British press with a lack of knowledge of Indian languages (and ignorance about the difference between Bengali and Hindi) reported it “inaccurately”. The controversy, I believe, was made popular by a chain of e-mails that seemed seemingly innocent and convincing to secular Indians ( I firs read it in an e-mail too), the following links might be of help.

    The reports were based on understandable ignorance since the Anglo-Indian press had neither the linguistic abilities nor the interest to be accurate. Actually, two songs that had been sung that day. The Jana Gana Mana had been followed by a Hindi song composed specially for George V by Rambhuj Chaudhary. There was no real connection between the composition of the Jana Gana Mana and George V, except that the song was sung — not written – at an event which also felicitated the king.

    Link

    Hindutva allegations against the Jana Gana Mana are not new. But they have begun to circulate anew with fresh intensity with the growth of the Hindutva brigade in the 80’s. And have entered the conversational common sense which has begun to treat these as if they were established evidence. Quite recently a friend of mine abroad alerted me to pro-Hindutva websites such as http://www.freeindia.org that had convinced his otherwise secular students that the anthem had been originally composed for Emperor George V. Even more recently, another friend reported that she found herself isolated in a ladies party in Kolkata when she tried to defend the anthem from these charges. The jingoism of the anti-Jana Gana Mana campaign is based on an appropriate irony. The charge actually rests on false evidence given by the pro-British press. The song was first sung in a session of the Congress in 1911. This session had decided to felicitate George V since he had announced the abrogation of the partition of Bengal, thereby conceding the success of the Swadeshi agitation, the first modern anti-colonial movement that had started in 1905. The day after the session the nationalist Indian papers normally — and accurately — reported that a Tagore composition had been sung. The Bengalee — along with other Indian newspapers as well as the report of the Indian National Congress – reported that it was a “patriotic song”. The following year the song was published as “Bharat — Vidatha”. A contemporary commentator in the vernacular Bharati described the song as one in “Praise of the Dispenser of human Destiny, whoÖappears in every age.” He probably came closest to capturing its spirit. This song was to later become known as Jana Gana Mana.

    Link

  18. The French revolution was quite bloody and this was a revolutionary anthem. There has to be a better recording of it than that though …

    Ask for a better recording, and ye shall receive.

  19. The part about the composition being made for King George V is a highly debatable point, there are reports that the British press with a lack of knowledge of Indian languages (and ignorance about the difference between Bengali and Hindi) reported it “inaccurately”.

    Except for two things:

    1. The quote I gave you showed three reports from Indian newspapers, not English ones.
    2. If the wikipedia article is to be believed, even in Tagore’s own explanation, he admits that he gave the song over as a praise song, however, he claimed it had not orginally been composed for the King:
    A certain high official in His Majesty’s service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Vidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India’s chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense. [Link]

    That’s from a letter written by Tagore himself. Tagore isn’t claiming that the song had been performed earlier, nor is he claiming that it had been incorrectly reported. He’s merely saying it was really about God all along.

    My point is simpler than all of this – the song doesn’t really move me, for whatever reason.

  21. My point is simpler than all of this – the song doesn’t really move me, for whatever reason.

    Point taken.

    1. The quote I gave you showed three reports from Indian newspapers, not English ones.

    However, at that time, most (not all) of English newspapers (Times of India included) in India were owned and controlled by British. They were very few newspapers at that time (run by Tilak and all, and Gandhi had a newspaper in South Africa), that were run by Indians, and even dared to question His Majestic Service, howsoever, indirectly.

  23. A national anthem is more about loving one’s own country and less about hating another person/country/”impure-blood-type”.

    Actually, competitive anthem singing can be a good time. (Here’s looking at you, Floridian!)

  24. Kush – why then doesn’t Tagore’s own account more directly contradict the British version? His own account is very close to the official story, differing only in terms of the true meaning of his action. He admits the song was used in praise of the King in its first public performance.

  25. My point is simpler than all of this – the song doesn’t really move me, for whatever reason.

    I get goosebumps whenever I hear Jana Gana Mana. The American national anthem doesn’t move me (maybe its the tune, or the out of rhyme words), but I love a good rendition of “God bless America”.

  26. I think he wrote a song about his mythical India, with “Vidhata” (the god) in reins of its destiny. Like, he wrote Amar Sonar Bangla as a poetic protest to partition of greater Bengal.

    However,

    Tagore in 1911, was an anglophile, he was Sir Rabindra Nath Tagore. He had good relations with English (Yeats included, who pushed for Tagore to be translated in English, and get Nobel nomination), and so he gave the poem to be read in honor of King George V visit.

    It was in 1919, Jallianwala Bagh, when he returned his knighthood in protest.

    A lot of his stories have a very strong under current of freedom struggle, and stirrings of freedom……like Ghare Bare, Choker Bali.

  27. 6 · Kush Tandon said

    Two national anthems in Indian subcontinent are written by Rabindra Nath Tagore, and are in Bengali. The other one is Bangladesh, Amar Shonar Bangla. Here is a youtube version. A Nobel Laureate poet……I guess he does not cut your muster.

    At the risk of sounding insensitive towards my Sri Lankan friends another anthem of the subcontinent Sri Lanka Matha by the late poet and and artiste extraordinaire Ananda Samarakoon too reminds me of Bankim Chandra’s Vande Mataram and Gurudev’s Jana Gana Mana… Samarakoon spent a few years at Shantiniketan and has brought together the best of the universalism of Tagore and the sort of expressive outward national love that Bankim rejoices in. The Sri Lankan, Bangladesh, and Indian anthems are of new States, and are not obsessed with blood and gore that characterised the earlier anthems. And the anthems I enjoy? I love all the South American and European ones, Brazil, Argntina, Chile, Ecuador, Italy, France (La Maresellaise, which was the first the anthem of the Confederate States), Greece.

  31. I think that Jana Gana Mana is not an appropriate choice of a national anthem for the reasons Ennis has mentioned. I don’t like the second version at all because of all the military BS, but maybe also because it’s from after I left India.

    I always found Saare jahaan Se Accha to be a much more beautiful, patriotic and national-anthemy song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6zTKonidWo&feature=related

    I absolutely love this one. I would look forward to watching it every weekend, and I was surprised that when watching this after more than 15 years, I still remembered who would come nect. The second video of Jana Gana Mana you posted is a cheap imitation of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7OkWpfTz1U&feature=related

  33. Between the three national anthems – Jana Gana Mana; Amar Shonar Bangla; and Pak Sarzameen; only the Pakistani anthem was explicitly conceived and set to music as a national anthem. The others were conceived and composed in other contexts and subsequently adopted as anthems. Pak Sarzameen is also the shortest, and almost completely in Persian. I have to say that it appeals to me the most among the three, both for its lyrics and for its music.

    It is possible that, on lyrics alone, either or both of the Tagore compositions might be superior; but taken as a whole as anthems, I feel they both fall short. My knowledge of Bangla, such as it is, heartily exceeds my knowledge of Persian, so, while this is only my opinion, it is not biased linguistically – it reflects only by my own subjective preference, and no disrespect is meant to anyone whatsoever! I grew up singing Jana Gana Mana, and saluting the tricolor; not even knowing of the existence of the other two anthems. The preference is based on tastes I developed as an adult. I really wish Jana Gana Mana did more for me. A song I really like, however, is Saare Jahaan se Accha Hindostaan Hamaara – the Tarana-e-Hind. Most of the stanzas of the song do not get publicly sung; this clip, sung by a group from the AMUers of New England, has them all, and is therefore quite long. I wonder whether, had Partition been avoided, this song could have ended up as the national anthem of the united country.

    I also wanted to link in these two youtube videos of Pak Sarzameen: One and Two; both were edited and created by Indians on youtube – the accompanying background motifs present compelling views of Pakistan, each uplifting in its own way.

  34. it loses the rhythm that it has

    the rhythm isn’t the difference, it sounds different because the microtones are absent. typically absence of microtones would sound more pleasant/haunting/moving/melodic to a western ear than one with it.

    A.R. Rehman’s bombastic cover

    well, it has several musicians who are extremely accomplished (plus a few placeholders like amjad ali khan’s kids) in the piece, from a selection nicely representative of the many musical styles present in india. and it has my favorite singer dk pattamal. it has a nice interpretation tonally as well, each line has tiny deviations from the original that represents the school of performer who sings/plays that line (including mangeshkar’s filmy lilt at the end on jaya he). i wouldn’t call it bombastic (except for arr’s silly drum beat at the end)—i don’t know what made you think that.

  36. It seems Ennis isn’t moved by Jana Mana Gana, perhaps, because of how he identifies himself? May I say, that he doesn’t identify with it? So, what is there to be critical of this? Who is anyone to say anything about that? When I hear some other country’s national anthem played for a gold medalist at the olympics, for example, (most often some eastern block country) it means nothing to me. It’s just another song. But when I hear the Star Spangled Banner, and for some unexplained reason, even Jana Mana Gana, I am brought to tears, there is some sense of patriotism which these songs evoke within me. I was born in India, grew up in America, raised by my parents to respect and love the best of both. I don’t think this is a matter of song pattern or “catchy” tunes. That discussion surely is a valid one, but not to the discussion of why one or the other moves people. [This is not to say that if you don’t identify with Jana Mana Gana, that you are not “Indian enough”…I can just see someone extrapolating this from my comment.]

  38. You like the Marseillaise? I can’t stand it, and actually quite like the Star Spangled Banner. The Dutch national anthem is horrific as well, no one really knows the lyrics to it and the content is very xenophobic and violent. Jana Gana Mana doesn’t do much for me as well, I find it rather an annoying kind of melody instead of uplifting.

  39. I was born and grew up in India, now reside in the USA. What jana gana mana “did” for me is not very clear, but the song’s history and musical quality had little to do with it. I heard it more often than just twice a year. Yet, I associated it with holidays–two thoroughly secular holidays. Hence it was a sort of clean, grave, sane parenthesis in a messy, crazy life, and all the military parades notwithstanding, it always felt like a very peaceful song. Perhaps this can be called a “religious” response. I think it evoked, probably by extramusical means, the same feelings that the highest kind of music evokes.

    And for the rest of the year, we were decidedly un-brotherly, tribe-minded, vicious people, living in an unstable society and hostile nature.

    A R Rahman is the ripest of the cheesy music vendors of India. His cheeseball twists and turns can be predicted about 50 notes in advance and he is unable to resist that tacky whinnying taan now afflicting all Indian pop. BUT, he has put together a parade of musical superstars, which (in a typically weak Rahman fashion), evokes a vague feeling of brotherly, non-tribal equality with them. Look at these great men and women … they are us! We are somehow a single culture. We can simply “take” the treasures they have produced, no questions asked. We own those. Somewhere deep down, we might be sane, civilized, peaceable after all.

    Putting such thoughts in your head, even if through purple music and star power, is good enough going for a national anthem …

  40. Here is my favourite edition- by the armed Navy band http://youtube.com/watch?v=d08yl_4QFL4&feature=related

    I had a couple of oppertunities to listen to the Indian Navy band play on the Navy Day celebrations and its really different hearing it live from 50 feet away.

    As for liking the national anthem, I really like Jana Gana Mana. A national anthem, according to me, is not just any song with beautiful lyrics. It inspires that sense of respect and love for your country whenever and whereever you hear it. Atleast the Indian national anthem does that for me.

    Coming to other nation’s national anthems, I really dig the Soviet National Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpKRd2xQeq8 Soviet National Anthem (Wikipedia)

    On a side note, see this too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A0-dg6ASqI

  42. I think a good anthem is one that is unifying. A great example of this is the South African anthem which includes parts in Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, & English. Although my view is biased since I am South African & Bangladeshi, I still find it more moving than the Australian one (where I currently live) & the Bangladeshi one (where I visit frequently).

    For the Nepalese anthem – I found it to have an East Asian and South Asian touch. The musical combo works quite nicely I think.

  43. The Pledge was way more fun than the Anthem. Every morning our School building used to tremble a touch as the future of India tucked into the Pledge: “Indiaismycountry. AllIndiansaremybrothersandsisters. ILovemycountry. Iamproudofitsrichandvariedculture. Ishallalwaysstrivetobeworthyofit. Ishallloveandrespectmyparentsteachersandelders.TomycountryandmypeopleIpledgemydevotion. JAIHIND.”

  44. Jana Gana Mana doesn’t do much for me as well, I find it rather an annoying kind of melody instead of uplifting.

    The tune is simple in order that everyone can sing it. As an American I particularly appreciate that. (la-and of the FREEEEEEEEEEEE, anyone?)

    And the words are so inspiring, a grand portrait of the diversity which is brought together in India. And there is no hostile reference to outsiders, no guns, no blood, no race wars.

    Here’s the Wikipedia entry with the English translation of the lyrics and all the other discussion.

  45. Although my view is biased since I am South African & Bangladeshi, I still find it more moving than the Australian one (where I currently live) & the Bangladeshi one (where I visit frequently).

    Advance Australia Fair – the australian national anthem is a rather bland and uninspiring. Waltzing Matilda is more in keeping with the Australian character. The South African anthem is bloody good – not one that I would try to learn though 🙂

  46. Advance Australia Fair – the australian national anthem is a rather bland and uninspiring. Waltzing Matilda is more in keeping with the Australian character. The South African anthem is bloody good – not one that I would try to learn though 🙂

    Too right! Neither the tune nor the lyrics are inspiring. Often the lyrics sound like they’ve been chosen just so they rhyme. And I’ve never really understood the “let us rejoice for we are young & fair”. It’s like they just slapped it together after federation.

    M’fraid I did have to learn the South African anthem (at school), & it can get quite tricky changing from the “clicking” pronunciation of Xhosa to the ghhhh type sounds of Afrikaans.

  47. Vande Mataram brings me to tears–every version of it except Rahmans’. I guess I’m in Scribble #39’s camp viz Rahman. His latest compositions in Jodha Akbar are not too bad though. I’ve never liked Jana Gana Mana. It is not very musical but it is easy to sing. There are people in South India –Tamil nadu– who can’t actually sing JGM. They don’t understand the words. So in cases like this, it is better that it has a easy to follow tune. Strange words and difficult to sing is worse than strange sounding words alone. Or maybe they can’t sing JGM because they are actually from Sri Lanka. That is what I discovered about these little Tamil school children in the areas I stayed in on my last visit to India. What was interesting though was that they thought we were the foreigners. Not just me, but other Indians. And other dark**Indians. Some of these people have no concept of India. It is their little (Sri Lankan) village and that is all they know.

    **I know some of you get really upset when the issue of skin color is brought up. But hey, these are espresso colored people. If you are not the same shade of brown and also don’t know Tamil, they don’t know that you are any different from the very tanned german pedophile living down the road. The notion of India does not exist in their minds.

  48. Fuelling another debate here:

    An Indian Government website claims that the Hindi version of Tagore’s song was taken as the national anthem of India.

    But some claims it is actually the Bangla text pronounced in Hindi accent (it actually is Bengali too). The words are pure Bangla tatsama words. The grammar is unmistakably Bangla and not Hindi or Sanskrit.

    An Indian Express article argues:

    No Hindi adaptation was done (note: Hindi and Bangla language have same roots) and nore there was any formal decision of the Indian Government regarding this.

    Rabindranath played with languages. Probably Tagore wrote the texts without any vowels so that it can be sang both in Bangla and Hindia as teh words are in both languages.

    From Wikipedia:

    In 1877, Rabindranath rose to notability when he composed several works, including a long poem set in the Maithili style pioneered by Vidyapati. As a joke, he maintained that these were the lost works of Bhānusiṃha, a newly discovered 17th-century Vaiṣṇava poet.

    And what do you know a German scholar worked on a theses with these works as works of of Bhanusimha and was awarded a PhD.

  49. UberMetroMallu,The pledge was way more fun……however,the last line is”To my country and my people I pledge my devotion in their well being and prosperity alone lies my happiness,JaiHind”

  50. Ennis, You need to go out more…..like any movie house in India…and watch/listen as everybody stands up and sings JGM before the movie begins.

    I , personally, am glad India wins so few medals as the Olympics. That way i never get bored of JGM.