The traditional Maltese bagpipe (zaqq) has been saved from extinction thanks largely to the consternation felt by an eight-year-old-boy who in 1980 could not find anyone who could play it.
That young boy was Ruben Zahra, whose interest in this old instrument was sparked when he saw a 19th century - Brockdorff lithograph showing the zaqq and the tanbur (tambourine). He asked his father Trevor, the well-known author of children's books in Maltese, to take him somewhere where he could listen to the zaqq being played.
His father told him that, unfortunately, there was no one who could play it.
That incident led the boy, who had music in his veins from a young age, to research and revive Maltese instruments as he got older.
He set up the group Etnika in 1999, dedicated to the promotion of Maltese instruments and music.
Later he had to give up Etnika, which still exists, as he left for Hollywood where he spent two years working as a soundtrack composer.
On his return two years ago he quickly returned to his love for all things Maltese and set up Nafra, an ensemble with the same objectives as Etnika.
"Young children who see that lithograph can now listen to the zaqq playing if they want to. Now we have the instruments, recordings and if they need it, information," he said.
For on July 11, Mr Zahra will be launching a book/CD publication called A Guide To Maltese Folk Music.
The project was handled in association with PBS, who provided some funding and also made their sound archives available for research. The publication is edited by Steve Borg.
Aimed at all those who are interested in the subject, including students and cultural tourists, the book/CD package, at Lm13.50, is lush in photography, illustrations and art designs to provide a compelling experience of Maltese folk music.
The book focuses on six Maltese instruments with a description of their configuration and relative terminology.
A section, written by Ranier Fsadni, discusses ghana (folk singing) touching on three styles - spirtu pront, tal-fatt and fil-gholi, the latter also known as il-Bormliza.
The book includes a section on dances featuring the kuntradanza, the Maltese country-dance, and the parata - the Maltese sword dance.
Another interesting chapter is that on street cries of vendors, featuring a transcription of the notes of seller's cries. Unfortunately, no recordings of such cries were found and most no longer exist, but there are people who remember them. While the people sometimes did not even know what was said in the cry, the musical profile of the cry registered in their minds.
This section is accompanied by reproductions of lithographs of sellers "singing" their cry found at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Another section is on Maltese nursery rhymes. It is basically a transcript of a PBS programme episode by Charles Arrigo and Karmen Azzopardi in the 1960s.
The publication, Mr Zahra said, is literally a guide to Maltese folk music presented in a way that which can be understood and enjoyed even by secondary school students.
The CD, which is embedded in the book's jacket, includes 18 vintage recordings as well as seven Nafra tracks. It is the first time that a sample from the sound archives at PBS is being published.
The publication is sponsored by MIDI plc, the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the Education Youth and Employment Ministry.
Mr Zahra said it is high time that the Maltese stopped imitating other countries and started appreciating their own heritage.
On a positive note, he feels that progress is being made, so much so that during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Nafra performed for the Queen.
The ensemble produces an unplugged, acoustic sound in a bid to communicate with the audience.
As a composer, Mr Zahra tries to create new music with folk material, transposing the traditional instruments to a contemporary platform.
He said his research had been long and laborious, including many nights listening to the PBS archives and seeking out old people who may have remembered traditional music being played.
"In the US, a new country, there are whole libraries on native American music; in Malta there was nothing."
Mr Zahra looks at his project as a milestone in his commitment to Maltese music.
His wish is for it to be the first in a series of other projects...
When Mr Zahra was eight, it had not been possible for him to listen to the zaqq. Now not only has that instrument been revived, but it can also be found in the biggest bagpipe museum, at the University campus at Orense in Spain. A zaqq has also been requested by a museum in Sardinia.
The Maltese bagpipe is very similar to other Mediterranean bagpipes but it has a unique finger arrangement.
www.rubenzahra.com