Mediterranean folk music at the Argotti Gardens

Maltese għana (folk song), Persian music, Turkish folk-jazz fusion and music from Sicily come together this weekend for Għanafest 2011.

Organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, this concert series of Mediterranean folk roots kicks off tonight at the Argotti Gardens, Floriana. The festival will also host a series of workshops on traditional instruments and a special programme for children. This is a wonderful event for the whole family complemented by traditional Maltese food and the marvellous surroundings of the Argotti Botanical Gardens in Floriana.

Besides local folk music, Għanafest presents a variety of local musicians and ensembles. This category includes the Big Band Brothers with a selection of Maltese songs from the 1930s, Trania, a fusion world-beat trio featuring Walter Vella, Jason Fabri and Mark Attard and songwriters David Azzopardi and The Greenfields.

Three international bands from Sicily, Turkey and Iran have been invited to participate in this year’s edition of Għanafest. The music of Nakaira from Sicily features influences from both Sicilian and Greek traditions with an intriguing combination of instruments such as zampogna, bouzouki, saz and oud.

Swing à la Turc quartet features Şenol Filiz, one of the most respected masters of the Ney: an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. The musical arrangements of Önder Focan portrays Turkish music within a folk-jazz context.

Navà ensemble will deliver a performance of Persian music from both the classical and folk tradition. The concert of Navà ensemble will also showcase a wide range of musical instruments: Târ – Persian lute, Setâr – long-necked lute, the Tombak drum carved from a single block of wood and other percussion: Daf, Dayeréh and Dohol.

• Għanafest – Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival is being held today, tomorrow and Sunday at Argotti Gardens, Floriana at 7 p.m. Tickets may be obtained at the door. Parking available at the Floriana Boy Scouts headquarters, right next to the venue.

www.maltafolkmusicfestival.org
www.maltaculture.com