The competition opened with 174 contestants, later narrowed down to over 20 and then eighteen finalists whose performance was televised to allow the public vote for the most outstanding contender. Members of President Jammeh's Cabinet had their chance too, to vote for a winner and came out with convincing results after an exhaustive procedure.

They took time to watch and scrutinized closely the wordings and contents of each and every anthem to establish if it depicts in real sense and logic, the objective and spirit of the revolution.

They voted unanimously for one Juma Camara as the winner of the competition. The President argued that Camara's anthem has encapsulated all the major achievements of the Revolution and still went further to instill patriotism and commitment on food self-sufficiency.

The President underlined the outstanding work and sacrifice formulated by the contestants and the Judges in response to a national call. He described all the contestants' winners, and promised them consolation prizes according to their rankings in the final voting process.

This is not, however, the end. President Jammeh revealed his intention to keep Gambians busy for the rest of the year, as he announces another major competition. He is putting up D250, 000 to anyone who can table down all the projects initiating and completed by his government from 1994 to date. They don't, necessarily, have to be in the exact order of sequence under which, they have been implemented.
Entries for this competition are to be address to Secretary to Cabinet, Office of the President on or before the 17th of July, 2009. He used the occasion to announce another one for August, whilst he is on leave in Kanilai. He instructs the Police and Army Bands to work together with the winner and schools to help acquaint themselves with the anthem in preparation for the 15th anniversary celebration of the July 22nd Revolution.

Click here for the July 22nd Revolution Anthem

Report by Abdou Njie