Words don’t come easy

If music be the food of love, write the recipes and get cooking. Anthony De Giovanni and Jesmond Zerafa talk to Adam Brimmer about Vers il-Ħoss, the first local songwriting technique workshop.

If you’ve skimmed the radio stations recently, it’s not likely you’ve found much by way of meaningful lyrics in songs. The epic rise of dance and party music in these past decades has buried most other styles of pop music, forcing lyrics to be shorter and repetitive, like advertising jingles selling entertainment and barely-veiled erotica.

When I read the late Carmel Attard’s poems I got the urge to transform the words to lyrics and set them to music

It may be a bad time to be a songwriter or, perhaps, the perfect moment. Enter Vers il-Ħoss, a workshop and lecture programme aimed at local budding songwriters. Anthony de Giovanni, one of the minds behind the project says there is interest in song composition among young people.

“However, the focus has been predominantly on musical composition. This project is intended to fill the gap by focusing on the lyrics themselves,” he explains.

His co-producer, Jesmond Zerafa, adds that the goal is to foster a greater interest in the art of writing and to encourage a new generation to be passionate about the musical process from a holistic perspective. As accomplished poets and lyricists themselves, the two share a love of the craft.

“Years ago, when I read the late Carmel Attard’s poems, I felt inspired,” says de Giovanni. “I got the urge to transform the words to lyrics and set them to music.”

Zerafa reminisces about Leħma, an earlier project that merged poetry and music.

“I curated a collection of various authors themed around the ‘I’ or the self. Later on Giovanni Attard built a musical production around it.”

The leap from poetry to lyrics is not a big one, but more people are likely to quote a song than written verse.

“Poetry requires more participation and effort on the part of the audience, which is why song lyrics are more popular. They are multi-sensorial and a listener is more receptive to the emotional content,” says de Giovanni.

Zerafa is quick to point out that music adds dimension to the written word.

“A poem can fall flat if the reader doesn’t grasp the meaning within it, but adding music provides depth, context and animates the message. It’s a lot more accessible.”

Vers il-Ħoss is set to cover a variety of topics from composition to the history of songwriting, with the participation of respected and prolific guest lecturers and forums for discussion.

The programme will culminate with a collective project themed to local myths and folklore that may be developed into a musical drama. “I’m hoping to build this into a larger project, appealing to foreigners who want a taste of Maltese culture,” says Zerafa.

The conversation moves on to favourite songwriters. Despite varying tastes and styles, there are common grounds between the two project leaders.

“Possibly my earliest favourites are the Beatles’ lyrics, but then I’m a fan of prog rockers like Peter Sinfield from King Crimson, the folk verses of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. I cannot really single any of them out, though I think I’ll settle on Amused to Death by Roger Waters as my personal favourite album,” says de Giovanni.

At the mention of Waters, Zerafa chimes in with a few choice lyrics from thesongwriter.

“It’s been 20 years since the last record, and rumour has it some new material is about to be released,” he says with glee.

In a time when songwriting in Maltese is arguably going through a little Renaissance, de Giovanni expresses a hope for the music industry in Malta.

“Digital technology has made it a lot easier to record and produce music, as well as getting it out there. It’s given many more people opportunities to get their foot in the door,” he concludes.

Vers il-Ħoss: Kelmet il-Kanzunetta lectures and workshops will be held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior every Wednesday at 6 p.m., starting from September 5. To participate or for more information, call 7949 1680.