India’s various ethnic and cultural groups are honoured in the national anthem, and the melody is very reminiscent of Indian music as well. The music and words (including the English translation) were written by Rabindranath Tagore, the same composer of the music and words of the national anthem of Bangladesh. The poem originally was written (in Bengali) in 1911 with five verses, only the first verse is the national anthem.
The subject of the song is the Universal Spirit that guides India (God), possibly as a unifying link to the varying ethnic groups of the nation. It was first used as a national anthem by the “Free State of India” (Axis-controlled India) from 1943-1945. It was officially adopted as India’s national anthem two days before the republic was declared in 1950. At the time of adoption, another “national song” “Vande Mataram” was popular with the people and many government leaders, but the fact that Vandemataram personified India as a Goddess was offensive to the monothestic Muslim population and led to Jana-gana-mana’s adoption as the national anthem.
The National Anthem of India is titled "Jana Gana Mana". The song was originally composed in Bengali by India's first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911.[11][12][13] The parent song, 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' is a Brahmo hymn that has five verses and only the first verse has been adopted as the national anthem. If put forward succinctly, the anthem conveys the spirit of pluralism or in a more popular term the concept of 'unity in diversity', which lies at the core of India's cultural heritage.
"Indonesia Raya" (Indonesian: [ɪndoˈnesja ˈraja]; "Indonesia the Great") is the national anthem of Indonesia. It has been the national anthem since the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Youth Pledge in Jakarta. The song marked the birth of the archipelago nationalist movement in Indonesia that aims to gain independence from Dutch colonial rule. The first newspaper to openly publish the musical notation and lyrics of "Indonesia Raya"—an act of defiance towards the Dutch authorities—was the Chinese Indonesian weekly Sin Po.
Initially, there had been no orchestral version of the anthem. Thus in 1950, The Indonesian Government made an appeal to Jozef Cleber to compose a symphonic rendition of "Indonesia Raya".[14]
Cleber at the time had been among the 46 people of the Cosmopolitan Orchestra, under direction of Yvon Baarspul, sent by the Netherlands government to help the Indonesian government for its own music development in Jakarta. "Jos" Cleber was an experienced arranger not only of western songs but also for Indonesian pop songs such as Di Bawah Sinar Bulan Purnama and Rangkaian Melati.
"Kimigayo" (君が代) is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a waka poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880,replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton in 1869. While the title "Kimigayo" is usually translated as "His Imperial Majesty's Reign", no official translation of the title or lyrics have been established in law.
From 1888 to 1945, "Kimigayo" served as the national anthem of the Empire of Japan. When the Empire was dissolved following its surrender at the end of World War II, the new state of Japan succeeded it in 1947. This successor state was a parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy and the polity therefore changed from a system based on imperial sovereignty to one based on popular sovereignty. However, the Allied occupation forces (mainly U.S. military) allowed Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa to retain the throne and "Kimigayo" remained the de facto national anthem for preservation of Japanese monarchy. The passage of the Act on National Flag and Anthem in 1999 recognised it as the official national and imperial anthem.
The National Anthem of the Kyrgyz Republic was adopted on 18 December 1992 by a resolution of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan. The music was composed by Nasyr Davlesov and Kalyi Moldobasanov , and the words were written by Jalil Sadykov & Shabdanbek Kuluyev.
Initially, the anthem consisted of three verses and a chorus; however, by the resolution of the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz Republic N 2648-V of 27 December 2012, the second verse was excluded.
Written by Jalil Sadykov and Shabdanbek Kuluyev and composed by Nasyr Davlesov and Kalyi Moldobasanov, the anthem was adopted on 18 December 1992 by a resolution of the Supreme Council.[1]
In the 2000s, several public figures began initiatives to change the lyrics of the anthem.
"Pheng Xat Lao" (Lao: ເພງຊາດລາວ [pʰeŋ saːt laːw], "Song of the Lao People") is the national anthem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It was written and composed in 1941 by Thongdy Sounthonevichit. It was adopted as the national anthem of the Kingdom of Laos in 1945. The original lyrics were revised after the Communists triumphed in the Laotian Civil War and established the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975, with the new lyrics written by Sisana Sisane.
When the Pathet Lao emerged victorious in the Laotian Civil War in 1975, thanks to major North Vietnamese assistance, the new Communist government abolished the monarchy and changed the lyrics to reflect the ideology of the Marxist government.[7] As a result, the anthem became all-encompassing, mentioning all ethnic groups in Laos, instead of focussing on the Lao race and Buddhism. However, the melody was retained.