Burkina Faso
"Le Ditanye" (Anthem of the Victory)

Words by: Thomas Sankara
Music by: unknown
Adopted: 1984

Also called "Une Seule Nuit" (One Single Night), Burkina Faso's anthem, entitled "Le Ditanye" according to the constitution, was adopted when the country changed its name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso in 1984.

The author was the president of the country at the time of its renaming, Thomas Sankara. Sankara was an enthusiastic guitarist (he played in a band named "Tout-à-Coup Jazz") and he was also famous for his charismatic speeches and political poems; therefore it seems to be credible that he really wrote the text of the anthem, and his name not just mentioned for propaganda reasons. Even after his death in a coup d'état, his anthem remains, and Sankara remains popular among the country's youth.

The composer of the music of the national anthem is unknown.

See also: Upper Volta