I'm the Leader of the Gang Trivia Quiz

Answer: Colombia

Colombia's national anthem is indeed called "O gloria inmarcesible". It comes from a poem written by one of Colombia's former presidents, Rafael Núñez. It is played on the radio and television everyday at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm in Colombia (by law). The chorus is as follows:

"iOh, gloria inmarcesible!
iOh, júbilo inmortal!
En surcos de dolores,
el bien germina ya,
el bien germina ya.

"Oh, unfading glory!
Oh, immortal joy!
From the furrows of pain,
come the seedlings of good,
come the seedlings of good."

In a comical note, Shakira actually made a couple of mistakes singing the lyrics of the Colombian national anthem when US President Barak Obama was visiting the country for a summit meeting in April 2012, thereby joining the ranks of Christina Aguilera (who flubbed the lyrics to the US National Anthem at the 2011 Super Bowl) and Cyndi Lauper (who made her own flubs later that year at the US Open).

Shakira sang "El surco de dolores" (literally, "The furrow of pain" instead of "En surcos de dolores" (literally, "In furrows of pain", rendered here "From the furrows of pain..." because of what follows), and "La libertad de sublibe" "literally, the freedom of ???"" instead of "La libertad sublime" (literally, "Sublime freedom").

I say, this could happen to anyone, and already has happened to many!

Answer: Mexico

Mexico is the only Latin American country that shares a long land border with the USA. Though Canada shares a long border with the US, and the Anthm mentions "Canada", it does not mention the "Canadians". Also, Canada is not a Latin country. The other two countries mentioned are Latin American countries, but they do not share any land border at all the USA.

The chorus of the Mexican national anthem is:

"Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
el acero aprestad y el bridón.
Y retiemble en sus centros la Tierra,
al sonoro rugir del cañón.
Y retiemble en sus centros la Tierra,
al sonoro rugir del cañón!"

"Mexicans, at the battle cry,
prepare your steel (blade) and bridle.
And let the very center of the Earth tremble
with the resounding roar of the cannon!
And let the very center of the Earth tremble
with the resounding roar of the cannon!"

The Mexican national anthem was originally included in one of the scenes of the Robin Williams movie "Jumanji", but it had to be removed because it turns out that it is illegal to play the Mexican national anthem for commercial or comedic purposes.

Answer: Brazilian

Brazil is the only country in the Americas with Portuguese as its official language. The national anthem of Brazil is another poem set to music, with the following chorus:

"Terra adorada,
Entre outras mil,
És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada!"

"Adored land,
Above a thousand others,
It is you, Brazil,
Oh beloved Homeland!"

The actual name of the Brazilian national anthem is "Hino à bandeira brasileira" (literally, "Hymn to the Brazilian Flag").

One of the most touching renderings of the Brazilian National Anthem that I've witnessed was when Pan American Games Gold-medal winner Juliana Silva (for women's beach volleyball) sang the anthem with her eyes closed and her hand on her heart in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in October 2011.

Answer: George W. Bush

The backlash was fierce, though no footage could be produced to prove that this had actually happened. It eventually caused Bush to come out in favor of only singing the anthem in English. This may have been at least partly due to the fact that this version of the anthem was adopted as the theme song for Latins protesting for a more relaxed immigration policy in the US.

As you can see from the words below to the first verse and the chorus (accompanied by a translation), the sentiment of the original anthem is preserved. Ironically, most Spanish versions of Latin American national anthems use the old-fashioned "vosotros" form of address for the second person plural, even though this is used in Spain but not in the Americas (Spanish lyrics courtesy of NPR).

"Amanece, ¿lo veis a la luz de la aurora?
¿Lo que tanto aclamamos la noche al caer?

"Sus estrellas, sus franjas flotaban ayer
en el fiero combate en señal de victoria,

"Fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertad.
Por la noche decían: 'Se va defendiendo!'"

Coro:
"iOh decid! ¿Despliega aún
su hermosura estrellada
sobre tierra de libres,
la bandera sagrada?"

English Translation:
"Day is breaking. Do you see by the light of the dawn
What so proudly we hailed when night fell last night?

"Her stars, her stripes streamed yesterday
above the fierce combat as a symbol of victory.

"The brilliance of battle, on the way to liberty.
Throughout the night, they proclaimed: 'We will defend her!'"

Chorus
"Oh say! Does her star-spangled beauty
still wave over the land of the free,
the sacred flag?"

Answer: True

Though it didn't become the official national anthem until almost a hundred years after it was first sung, "O Canada" was first written under the title "Notre hymne national" ("Our National Anthem"), with music by Calixa Lavallée, a well-known composer and French lyrics by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier.

The lyrics are as follows:

"Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits."

"O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee."

I couldn't find any examples of flubs of this national anthem, though it hasn't been without its share of controversy. At different times, there have been proposals to change the word "sons" to something more gender neutral.

Answer: Haiti

French Guiana and Guadaloupe are both governed by France and do not have their own national anthems, though French is the official language there. Belize, formerly British Honduras, does not have French as one of its official languages and does not have a national anthem in French.

Only Haiti and Canada, in the Americas, have national anthems in French. The words to first verse of the Haitian National Anthem in French, Creole and English are as follows:

"Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons unis, Marchons unis.
Dans nos rangs point de traîtres!
Du sol soyons seuls maîtres.
Marchons unis, Marchons unis
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons, marchons, marchons unis,
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres."

"Pou Ayiti peyi Zansèt yo
Se pou-n mache men nan lamen
Nan mitan-n pa fèt pou gen trèt
Nou fèt pou-n sèl mèt tèt nou
Annou mache men nan lamen
Pou Ayiti ka vin pi bèl
Annou, annou, met tèt ansanm
Pou Ayiti onon tout Zansèt yo."

"For our homeland,
For our ancestors,
Let us march united.
Let there be no traitors among our ranks!
Let us be masters of our land.
Let us march united,
For our homeland,
For our ancestors."

Answer: Suriname

Suriname is he only former Dutch colony on the mainland of South America.

Dutch (followed by English translation)

"God zij met ons Suriname
Hij verheff'ons heerlijk land
Hoe wij hier ook samen kwamen
Aan zijn grond zijn wij verpand
Werkend houden w'in gedachten
Recht en waarheid maken vrij
Al wat goed is te betrachten
Dat geeft aan ons land waardij."

"God be with our Suriname.
May He elevate our lovely land.
Since we came here together,
We are dedicated to her soil.
Working, we keep in mind that
Justice and truth will set (us) free.
All that is good to behold,
Is what gives value to our land"

Sranan Tongo (followed by English translation)

"Opo kondreman un opo!
Sranangron e kari un.
Wans' ope tata komopo
Wi mu seti kondre bun.
Stré de f'stré, wi no sa frede.
Gado de wi fesiman.
Eri libi te na dede
Wi sa feti gi Sranan."

"Rise fellow citizens, rise!
The soil of Suriname is calling you.
Wherever our ancestors came from,
We must take care of our country.
There is a fight to fight,
And we shall not be afraid,
For God is our leader.
Our whole lives unto death,
We will fight for Suriname."

Answer: False

Argentina and Chile share many things, but their national anthems are not one of them. Argentina's national anthem was called "Canción Patriótica" ("Patriotic Song") before being chosen as the national anthem of that country.

The first verse goes like this:

"iOíd, mortales!, el grito sagrado:
iLibertad!, iLibertad!, iLibertad!
Oíd el ruido de rotas cadenas,
ved en trono a la noble igualdad.
Se levanta a la faz de la Tierra
una nueva y gloriosa Nación,
coronada su sien de laureles,
y a sus plantas rendido un león."

"Hear, mortals, the sacred cry:
'Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!'
Hear the noise of broken chains,
see noble Equality enthroned.
On the face of the Earth there now rises
A glorious and new Nation,
Her head crowned with laurels,
And a Lion beneath the soles of her feet."

Chile's national anthem was called "Canción Nacional" ("National Song") before being dubbed the national anthem of that country.

The chorus goes like this:

"Coro:
Dulce Patria, recibe los votos
Con que Chile en tus aras juró:
Que o la tumba serás de los libres
O el asilo contra la opresión
Que o la tumba serás de los libres
O el asilo contra la opresión
Que o la tumba serás de los libres
O el asilo contra la opresión
O el asilo contra la opresión
O el asilo contra la opresión."

"Sweet Homeland, accept the vows
That Chile has sworn at your altars
You will be either the tomb of the free
or a refuge against oppression
You will be either the tomb of the free
or a refuge against oppression
You will be either the tomb of the free
or a refuge against oppression
or a refuge against oppression
or a refuge against oppression."

Answer: Cuba

Cuba's Revolution began as an armed uprising led by a young member of the army, Fidel Castro, under the name "Movimiento del 26 de julio" ("The July 26th Movement") to topple Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The revolution finally succeeded in routing Batista on January 1, 1959, and the revolutionary government was instituted. Castro's reign later adopted communist principles and became the Communist Party of Cuba in October 1965, which was still in power under the rule of Fidel's younger brother Raúl in 2012.

The national anthem was in use before the revolution. It goes as follows:

"Al combate corred bayameses
que la patria os comtempla orgullosa
no temais una muerte gloriosa
que morir por la patria es vivir
En cadenas vivir es morir
en afrenta y oprobio sumidos
del clarin escuchad el sonido
a las armas valientes corred."

"Hasten to battle, people of Bayamo,
For the homeland looks proudly to you.
Do not fear a glorious death,
For to die for your country is to live.
And to live in chains
Is to live mired in dishonor and disgrace.
Heed the clarion call,
And hasten, brave ones, to battle!"

Answer: There are 14, including the independent island nations.

One the mainland of Central and South America, only Belize and Guyana (formerly British Honduras and British Guiana, respectively), are English-speaking and have national anthems in English. Of the 26 island nations in the Caribbean and the North Atlantic (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curação, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Monserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Eustatius, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands), only ten are English-speaking, independent and have national anthems in English (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago).

So there are two on mainland North America (US and Canada) plus two on the mainland of Central and South America (Guyana and Belize) plus ten Caribbean and North Atlantic island nations (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago), for a grand total of fifteen!