Composers, choirs, musicians and cultural organisations across Yorubaland and the diaspora have until 30 October to submit an original Yoruba-language composition for consideration as the official Oyo Empire Anthem.
The call forms part of preparations for the maiden Oyo Empire Day, scheduled to take place in Oyo from 17 to 19 December 2026. The Central Working Committee says the selected work is intended to become a lasting musical expression of Oyo history, royal heritage, cultural achievement and shared identity.
Entries may be submitted by individuals or groups. Each submission must contain the complete Yoruba lyrics and an MP3 recording demonstrating the melody and intended performance. The composition must be entirely original, written in Yoruba and no longer than two minutes.
Organisers have asked entrants to send their work to info@oyoempireday.org on or before the deadline. No monetary prize has been specified. The official notice instead promises the selected creator a “generational award and recognition”, alongside the possibility that the work could be performed at Oyo Empire Day and other pan-Oyo cultural, royal and community events.
What the anthem must express
The competition brief calls for language that is dignified, inspiring and accessible across communities connected to Oyo. It says the anthem should honour the institution of the Alaafin while reflecting the wider heritage and historical influence of the Oyo Empire.
Entrants are invited to draw on themes including diplomacy, trade, social organisation, cultural accomplishment and the historical strength of the empire. The work should also promote unity, responsibility, pride in heritage and hope for future generations.
Importantly, the organisers state that the anthem must not promote ethnic superiority or division. They describe the desired composition as pan-Oyo in spirit, embracing people of Oyo ancestry and connected Yoruba-speaking communities across Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos and Edo, as well as the diaspora.
The brief prohibits the reproduction, adaptation or substantial imitation of an existing song or anthem. That requirement places originality at the centre of the exercise and protects the proposed anthem from beginning its public life under a cloud of ownership or plagiarism concerns.
Music as a vessel for cultural memory
The choice of an anthem competition gives the festival a creative task that reaches beyond spectacle. Yoruba history and identity have long travelled through performance, including song, praise poetry, chants, drumming and storytelling. A short anthem can therefore serve both ceremonial and educational purposes, particularly if its words are clear enough for younger speakers and diaspora communities to learn.
The two-minute limit presents its own artistic challenge. Entrants must compress a large and sometimes complex historical inheritance into a piece that is memorable, singable and inclusive. The strongest submission will need to celebrate the past without turning history into empty praise, and inspire contemporary audiences without losing the language and dignity expected of a heritage composition.
The public call also opens a space for contemporary Yoruba composers to shape how cultural memory is transmitted. Rather than selecting an existing song, the committee is asking today’s artists to create something intended for repeated use by future generations.
A December homecoming in Oyo
Oyo Empire Day is being presented as an annual cultural platform connecting heritage preservation, scholarship, tourism, creative enterprise and diaspora engagement. The maiden edition is due to run over three days under the theme “Celebrating Our Heritage, Preserving Our Legacy, Building Our Future”.
According to the festival’s official information, activities are proposed for Oyo Stadium and selected heritage sites in and around Oyo. The planned programme includes royal processions, cultural performances, historical exhibitions, heritage markets, food experiences, colloquiums, documentary screenings, youth initiatives and guided visits to places connected with the history of the Oyo Empire.
The event is intended to welcome families, tourists, scholars, creatives, youth groups, diaspora visitors and cultural enthusiasts. However, organisers have not yet released complete ticketing and registration arrangements. Some activities may be free, while selected sessions or VIP experiences could require passes, accreditation or invitation.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, is identified by the organisers as the royal custodian and chief convener of the celebration. The wider organising vision is to make Oyo itself the setting for a homecoming rather than confining the programme to a single venue.
Why the competition matters
An adopted anthem would give the new festival a recognisable sound and a shared text around which communities can gather. It could also provide a practical tool for language continuity if schools, cultural associations, choirs and diaspora groups are able to learn and perform it.
The value of the project will ultimately depend on transparent selection, careful attention to language and respect for the diversity of communities connected to Oyo history. The winning composition will carry the difficult responsibility of representing a broad inheritance in only a few verses.
Interested composers and groups should read the full competition document on the official Oyo Empire Day website before submitting. Entries must include Yoruba lyrics and an MP3 recording and must reach info@oyoempireday.org by 30 October 2026.
Podium News will continue to monitor the anthem selection and the release of confirmed visitor, venue and ticketing information ahead of the December celebration.
