Indri Attard / Il-Gwardjan
Indri Attard is more often related to drama, sculpture and broadcasting rather than music. A prolific sculptor, he has been a radio presenter since 1998 and is a familiar face on TV, having acted in various TV dramas and other programmes, and has also produced the film Mħuħ.
The song Il-Gwardjan was originally going to be about the local wardens, but ended up being written from the perspective of someone who is a warden, rather than the other way around; a reflection of that person’s experiences on the job.
Romina Mamo / Anġli Bla Ġwenħajn
Not a new face on the local music scene, Romina Mamo’s first competitive experience was at the 2003 Konkors Kanzunetta għall-Ewropa. Since then, she has participated in several other festivals.
Anġli bla Ġwenħajn features two simultaneous storylines that converge, paying tribute to those people who go out of their way to save the life of a fellow human being.
Teddie Zammit / Ibni
Gozitan artist Teddie Zammit has always loved writing songs in Maltese. He first started playing guitar when he was 16 and for a good number of years was a member of rock band Straight Ahead and the Astra folk group.
The song Ibni focuses on the price of progress through the eyes of a simple man who worked hard to give his son a better future, but ends up being forgotten by him.
Marie Claire Attard Bason / Għal Dejjem
Marie Claire Attard Bason has been studying music since she was four. Her song Għal Dejjem focuses on the issue of bullying at school. The song is inspired by the personal experiences of someone close to the singer.
Leanne Attard / Bikja mid-Deżert
Leanne Attard is a young singer from Gozo who has been in love with music and singing ever since she can remember. Since 2012, she has been part of the Cantorum Jubilate choir. Bikja mid-Deżert is the prayer of a mother who, having accompanied her son for medical treatment abroad, feels lost and alone.
Ta’ Verna / Bit-Tof... Ma Tofx...?
Ta’ Verna is a folk group that has performed in several events locally and abroad, namely Austria, Italy, and more recently Slovakia, where they placed third in an international festival. The song Bit-Tof... Ma Tofx...? is about a Gozitan lady who, having to commute regularly to Malta for work, finds that she must switch from her Gozitan dialect to ‘proper’ Maltese when she crosses over.
Mistura / Nammetti li ma Naf Xejn
The duo Mistura was formed last year, reputedly after Antonio Olivari and Malcolm Bonnici were struck simultaneously by the fragments of a comet and felt compelled to commemorate this great event by getting together to make music. None of this, of course, has ever been proven.
The song Nammetti li ma Naf Xejn is based on the notorious quote from Socrates, which states that the only thing he knows is that he knows nothing.
Alwyn Borg Myatt / Is-Sajjied tax-Xatt tax-Xlokk
Singer Alwyn Borg Myatt has been involved in the local music scene for many years. She was, in fact, a backing singer on John Bundy’s winning song Pajjiż tal-Mickey Mouse in 1995.
Her song Is-Sajjied tax-Xatt tax-Xlokk is inspired by the artist’s love for the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, and features her own grandparents as the main characters of the song’s storyline.
Estelle Fenech Imbroll / Virtwali
A newcomer to L-Għanja tal-Poplu, young singer Estelle Fenech Imbroll is a teacher by day, but music has always been one of her great passions. Her song Virtwali is about the effect the social media phenomenon has on many people’s lives.
Corazon / It-Tweġiba
Having won the festival three times in recent years, Corazon is an estbalished singer-songwriter and well-known face on TV.
It-Tweġiba is a song about a relationship in which love has cooled off over time, possibly through things left unsaid or unanswered, clearly one of the artist’s more mature and sombre works.
X-Tend / Kuluri, Lwien
Formed in the 1980s, X-Tend have, in the space of 25 years, released several albums and singles; the band is best remembered for its festive season double CD release Sbieħ il-Milied. The song Kuluri, Lwien recognises the importance of colours in our lives and the way they influence a lot of decisions and choices we make.
Fiona Camilleri / Taħnina
Fiona Camilleri has performed at several music events, among them Voices.
Taħnina was originally inspired by the sound of rain and wintry weather, but evolved into a mother’s lullaby to her baby, as she assures the child that it is safe in her arms.
Justin Galea u Banda Briganti / Il-Maltin bil-Politika Mehdijin
A familiar face within the L-Għanja tal-Poplu circle, Justin Galea is this year accompanied by Banda Briganti, a musical project that seeks to write catchy tunes and use them to deliver a message, often with a touch of humour.
Il-Maltin bil-Politka Mehdijin addresses the Maltese people’s fixation with politics with more than a hint of satire.
Maria Debono / Tinsinix
Maria Debono made her first L-Għanja tal-Poplu appearance last year, winning the Best Interpretation Award.
Tinsinix is about the cruel reality of Alzheimer’s Disease and the repercussions of dementia, highlighting the need for empathy, love and care towards those who happen to experience this disease.
Corinne u l-Ħbieb / Ġrajja ta’ Kull Żmien
This is Corinne’s second appearance at L-Għanja tal-Poplu, which she sees more as an opportunity to express herself rather than just a competition.
Her song was inspired by the various experiences of victims of social injustice, and seeks to raise awareness about this issue.
Charlie Dalli / Id-Dar għal Bejgħ
Although best known as a founding member of X-Tend, Charlie Dalli’s connection to L-Għanja tal-Poplu dates back to 1979, when he performed the song M’Għandi Xejn Ħlief.
His song is about a house that is not a home as a consequence of a relationship that has lost its passion.
Cherise Attard / Hawn Siġġu Nieqes
Inspired by the likes of Adele, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, Cherise Attard’s Hawn Siġġu Nieqes is about a couple that opts for a civil wedding rather than a religious one, with the missing chair referenced in the title representing the absence of Christ’s presence at the union.
Dorothy Muscat / Signor Si
Although this is Dorothy Muscat’s first L-Għanja tal-Poplu appearance, she has performed at various other festivals and events.
Her song Signor Si addresses the fact that, all too often, people give way too much importance to weddings and forget that what matters is, in fact, the marriage, not the party or the excessive materialistic trimmings.
Rita Pace / Pupazz
A four-time winner of L-Għanja tal-Poplu’s Best Social Theme Award, Rita Pace’s song Pupazz confronts those people whose interest it is to muffle the voice of the underdog. It encourages people to take a stand and voice their opinions in the face of adversity and injustice.