The territorial anthem of Guam, used during local festivities and international sporting events, was written by Dr. Ramon Manalisay Sablan, the island’s first medical doctor of Chamorro (the indigenous people of Guam) background, and an outspoken Chamorro rights activist. Written in English in 1919, it was performed at public events and before the school day in classrooms. It was adopted as the official anthem of the territory in 1952, but by this time was not performed much publicly. Interest in reviving the Chamorro language and culture led to a translation of the lyrics into the Chamorro language in 1974, and are more commonly performed now.
When played at official occasions it is always preceded by “The Star Spangled Banner“, as Guam remains a territory of the United States.
Special thanks to: Col. Dennis Santo Tomas for the sheet music, and Keith Terrett for the music file.