A musical instrument which up till now only features in 18th-century lithographs of Malta, will be launched at this year’s Għanafest, the Mediterranean folk festival which is held annually at the Argotti Botanical Gardens.

Joining the ranks of Maltese instruments such as the żaqq, żummara and flejguta, it will be the first time that the Maltese lyre or lira has been heard in centuries.

The instrument – a pear-shaped, three-stringed, bowed instrument central to the traditional music of Crete and other Greek islands – appears in 18th- and 19th-century lithographs.

In 2010 Vicki Ann Cremona, ambassador of Malta in Tunisia, invited Ruben Zahra – artistic director of Għanafest and leader of the Nafra folk ensemble – to conduct research in Tunisia. This research at the Ennajma Ezzahra – Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music in Sidi Bou Said led to tracing the roots of the Maltese instrument in the Byzantine tradition, with an offshoot of the same instrument in Calabria.

Ettore Castagna, an Italian ethno-musicologist, musician and expert of the lira, collaborated with Zahra on the research and reconstruction of the Maltese instrument. Its reconstruction was entrusted to Pietro Forlani, a master luthier from Calabria.

Nafra’s concert at Għanafest will portray the music journey of this research from Tunisia to Italy towards the revival of the lira. The concert will feature oriental violinist from Tunisia Mohamed Lassoued and Castagna playing the lira.

The rediscovery of the lira – like folk music in general – raises questions about the relationship between music, memory and the people.

How much does Maltese music tell us about ourselves as a people, about our past and our culture? How much of it has been lost? How much can be revived?

Għanafest aims to celebrate the diversity of Mediterranean folk music, bringing together a rich programme of għana, Maltese music bands and foreign folk bands.

This year’s theme is Islands and musicians from Crete, Corsica and Sardinia will take audiences on a musical journey throughout the festival days.

Apart from Nafra, the Maltese bands, too, will bring their own rich mix of traditional and contemporary at this year’s festival. Maltese band No Bling Show will present their hip hop/għana fusion project, featuring young refugees in collaboration with Marc Cabourdin. This project is supported by V18.

On the second day, Maltese band KażinSka will give a contemporary rendering of Maltese festa music. And then of course there is the għana itself, which will run throughout the festival, offering a unique opportunity to experience the different styles of għana.

The festival goes beyond being simply a series of concerts – there is also an exhibition and a series of workshops on traditional instruments, as well as a special programme for children. Għanafest is also complemented by traditional Maltese food and Maltese crafts, on display in an artisans’ market, making the event one for the whole family where young and old can mix in a friendly and fun spirit of celebration.

Għanafest – Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival 2013 is supported by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Culture and Local Government.

The festival will be held from Friday to next Sunday at Argotti Gardens, Floriana, at 7pm. Tickets cost €3 (€7 for a three-day block ticket) and are available at the door.

www.maltafolkmusicfestival.org

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