There was a time when youngsters scoffed when they heard the word għana, a traditional style of song that can almost be described as poetry set to music.
Not anymore.
If the recent past editions of Għanafest, a Malta Council for Culture & the Arts creation, are anything to go by, Maltese folk music is enjoying a previously unparallelled revival. With edgy, modern day bands the likes of Brikkuni and No Bling sharing the stage with our traditional għannejja, the past three or so years have seen the crowds flocking to experience with is at once both a novelty and a return to our grassroots.
Besides the beauty of the music, the successful fusion of old with new is extremely intriguing. And no-one portrays this better than Karmenu Debono, known as il-Pikipakkk and Reuben Zahra, known for founding world music groups Etnika and Nafra and now also artistic director of the weekend-long festival.
GĦANA AS POETRY
I found Karmnu l-Pikipakk to be a fount of knowledge when it comes to Maltese music in all its forms.
He patiently explained the different forms of għana to me – from spirtu pront (where the lyrics are literally made up on the fly) to tal-għoli (which places more importance on the pitch of the voice than the lyrics), makkjetti (short stories), għana tal-gideb (based on surreal, absurd humour) and more.
Karmnu was more than happy to answer my questions.
When did you start practicing għana?
I owe my beginning to a certain għannej known as Ġużeppi x-Xhudi, who happened to be my neighbour and who introduced me to the art. I often got into trouble because of him – he’d give me verses and tell me to go and sing them to other people and in all innocence I would obey instructions. But the verses weren’t always quite flattering.
You’d think I’d have learnt my lesson fast but I was a mischievous child and I loved playing pranks...so I was quite happy to follow ix-Xhudi’s instructions. When I turned nine he introduced me to another għannej, Salvu tal-Fwied and I started practising proper għana. We even used to go out on the streets at night, singing, but the police soon put a stop to that.
How can għana be rendered attractive even to a younger generation?
Kids are more affected by topics they are familiar with, so the old-fashioned għana, that talks about working in the fields for instance, won’t appeal to them. But I have to say that the children’s sessions during last year’s Għanafest were particularly successful.
To help them appreciate the beauty (and the challenges) of spirtu pront, I told them I’d come up with għana for whatever topic they suggested there and then. I got various...from the sun to playing to a Manchester United match that was played the day before.
Do you agree that għana is a form of poetry?
Yes, in fact we call poets the “silent għannejja”. There is a particular form to għana, verses need to rhyme and are based on the eight syallable rule.
How come there seem to be more men than women who practice għana?
It was not always so. In other times, women had very particular responsibilities to carry out – you’d get the washerwomen congregating at the public baths for instance and they’d spend the whole day singing at each other while washing the clothes.
The same can be said about the bikkejja (mourners) whose job was to follow a hearse and show their grief through għana. There were the women who worked in the fields, those who water-proofed the roofs in the old method...all this were għannejja. Somehow when these jobs were rendered obsolete, female għana died with them.
Do you sing għana regularly?
Yes, there are about four to five places where the għannejja gather every Sunday morning. Top of my mind are the bowling club in Pieta, another club in Marsa near the Open Centre, Ta Ġanna Bar in Zejtun and the band club in Qormi. Usually there are to sessions of għana, with four għannejja. Each session takes about forty-five minutes. We usually start straight after the ten o’clock mass.
The beauty of authenticity
It’s an undeniable fact that since Reuben Zahra took over artistic directorship of Għanafest, in 2008, the festival has grown in leaps and bounds. The change in strategy has brought about a fusion of traditional għana, internationally renowned world music bands and Maltese bands whose music, while remaining authentically Maltese, embraces elements from today’s culture.
Throughout the past three years, the number of visitors invading Argotti gardens during the event has kept growing consistently and even more people are expected to attend this year.
How do you explain the sudden local revival in folk and world music?
I think the secret is to include a variety of music that, while remaining authentic, has evolved into a style that today’s audiences can understand. I place great importance on authenticity. You won’t find, to give just one example, a group of Italians playing the bagpipes at Għanafest.
After all, heritage plays a big part. This year’s programme is extremely versatile: some of the highlights is Persian music by Nava ensemble, Turkish folk jazz fusion by Swing a la Turc quartet and Mediterranean music by Nakaira from Sicily. There will also be Big Band Brothers playing songs from the thirties and jazz/raggae/rock combo Trania, both from Malta.
What is the biggest challenge in organising a festival of this calibre?
Bringing Malta’s artistic heritage to the forefront, making certain traditional instruments – that people aren’t familiar with – accessible, helping the audience develop their taste in music. In the past years we’ve had people showing up to see Brikkuni or No Bling, but while they’re here they’re also exposed to traditional għana and the reactions are always favourable. This works both ways. Għannejja tend to be very focused on their chosen genre, but this festival also helps them realise that għana is part of a wider musical culture.
How was your interest in folk music born?
I was brought up in a typically Maltese family. We spoke Maltese and we respected the Maltese identity. Having finished my studies in Rome, I stopped in Malta for a year before going to work in California. During this year, my second cousin Gużi Gatt introduced me to the żaqq (Maltese bagpipes) and together, we revived this instrument.
Some time later, folk band Etnika was born; you can say that this created the first wave of awareness about Maltese music. Four years later I also founded Nafra.
How is Nafra being received internationally?
You can say that Nafra is the most prominent international branding of traditional Maltese music. We’ve played in most European countries more than once, we’ve performed in countries like Hong Kong, India, Tunisia, Egypt and more.
Our repertoire is versatile; it’s not just using the żaqq and the tambur (drums). The international world music circuit requires a certain diversity and thoroughness, something that Nafra is very strong on. As a band we have more international engagements than local ones, but we do play in Malta on particular occassions as well. The next upcoming performance will take place in Gozo on Septermber 10, together with Big Band Brothers.
GĦANAFEST – Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival 2011 is organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. The Festival will be held on June 10, 11 and 12 at the Argotti Gardens in Floriana. All events start at 19:00 hours Tickets - €3 for a day ticket and €7 for a three day block ticket - are available at the door. Parking is available at the Floriana Boy Scouts headquarters, right next to the venue. For a full programme visit www.maltafolkmusicfestival.org