She is Maltese but has been living in Spain for the past few years. She goes by the name of Troffa Ħamra and her band is called Los Mechones, a name those who frequent the local underground scene will surely be familiar with from the band’s performances in Malta in the not too distant past.

With a line-up boasting a tuba player, a drummer and two guitarists, all coming from different musical backgrounds, there’s no denying that their sound is rather original and distinct – a melée of bossanova, swing, ska and reggae delivered with unbridled Mediterranean passion.

Following the release of self-financed low-budget debut album I Hate You for That last February, the band recently launched a crowd-funding campaign via Verkami.com with the aim of raising the €1,000 needed to complement a Malta Arts Fund grant the band has received to record its second album.

Titled Todo es Más Bonito, the new album will feature the songs Troffa Ħamra has written since moving to Barcelona; a blend of the emotions, sounds and languages that have brought about changes in her life in Spain.

The album will feature 11 tracks sung in Spanish, English, Maltese and Catalan. The album will be recorded next month, with mixing, mastering and duplication scheduled sometime in February and an official launch in Barcelona in March, with a Malta launch event to be announced at a later date.

For more information or to make a pledge to help the band raise the remainder of its targeted amount, go to www.facebook.com/troffahamraylosmechones.