With reference to Mr Roderick Bovingdon's reply to Dr Giuseppe Schembri's and my letters (The Sunday Times, October 29), I have to state that in spite of his opinion of me, the last paragraph in his short article (October 1) contained grossly unethical mistakes when mentioning past and present performers, organisers and local and foreign folklorists and scholars on ghana never mind that he defines it as a "brief segment" or "short article".

He should have included Carmelo Pace, Schembri himself and others with the rest, or mentioned none! Everyone should have been given his due.

One other question: why did Mr Bovingdon mention Bertha Ilg and forget all about her contemporary German scholar Hans Stumme?  

I am pleased that as a result of our correspondence (mine included), Mr Bovingdon now says: "I fully recognise Dr Schembri's sensibilities in his promotion of ghana music at the Strada Stretta venue and elsewhere" and that "my article was certainly not intended to overlook Carmelo Pace or anyone else".

This was not so in his October 1 contribution when, due to lack of fieldwork research, he did not mention ghana singing sessions organised not only by Schembri in Valletta and at the University and Schembri's decisive part in Baldacchino's (and Karmnu Bonnici's) performance at Tal-Qroqq, but other folk singers' performances in Valletta wine shops as had taken place decades earlier.

Mr Bovingdon's October 1 contribution contains subjective dogmatic statements: can one ever speak of "a more perfect mode of ghana expression" or "ghana taken to its highest state of perfection"? Does Mr Bovingdon know that in the Nineties Frans Baldacchino repeatedly insisted in the media that ghana was soon to die a natural death?

This brings me to what I wanted to say in my concise reply to Mr Bovingdon (The Sunday Times, October 8). After long years in fieldwork research in Malta and having lived in Malta during the political events of the last quarter of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, I think that it is too simplistic to say that "... Il-Budaj, though an avowed Labourite, managed to steer an even keel..." during the EU referendum and general election run-up; and when was it that Baldacchino starred in Nafra's "open air displays"?

There is also a contradiction in Mr Bovingdon's arguments: if he now states that his contribution "was certainly not intended to overlook... anyone else", then why again extol Toni Spiteri's style as "unique" when a good number of past (and present) folk singers also have their uniqueness? How can one speak of the post-war period as if "not a lot happened in the intervening decades"? Was not Fredu Spiteri Tal-Pitrolju's contribution significant?

One last point: Dr Schembri and myself both reacted to Mr Bovingdon's comments on ghana history and performances in Malta, not in Australia. So Mr Bovingdon's uncalled for remark on my knowledge in Australia is besides the point. Why deviate the whole argument?

As my publications show, my research (and not just "knowledge") has to date always been focused on ghana and other aspects of folk culture in Malta and Gozo. The ground is still virgin and it would be absurd not to dig this fertile ground first. I have always kept away from attitudes as Mr Bovingdon's of commenting dogmatically on aspects of folk culture. My research has always been responsibly supported by my physical presence in the respective culture to undertake fieldwork sessions.