As from this year, Għanafest is returning to its roots, with a strong focus on the local folk aspect.

The festival kicks off today with a two-day event in Żejtun, the birthplace of many singers of repute and the cradle of Maltese folk song. To date, singers fuel life into the heart of the village as they fill the local teashops with their music. The village has a number of monuments reminiscing key personas and a dedicated garden, Ġnien l-Għannejja Żwieten, known as Ta’ San Girgor.

Today’s programme, which kicks off at 7pm at the above-mentioned garden, will include different types of għana, including għana tal-botta u risposta and għana fil-għoli (la Bormliża). Rita Pace and her band will perform at 8.15pm while Corazon Mizzi and her band will take to the stage at 10.30pm. There will also be a musico-literary event at Ġnien Luqa Briffa, called Rakkonti bid-Dijaletti (tales in dialect) at 7.30pm.

Tomorrow’s programme will also feature the għana tal-fatt and singers Doreen Galea and her band at 8.20pm and a folk group from Agrigento, Sicily, Val d’Akragas at 10.30pm. Ġnien Luqa Briffa will host a wine competition from 7.30pm onwards.

June 28 and 29 will bring the festival to its final notes, starting off at l-Imnarja celebrations in Buskett on the evening of the 28th and the following morning.

On the 29th, starting at 7pm, festivities will proceed to Birżebbuġa, another reference point for singers and musicians alike. Much like Żejtun, Birżebbuġa retains a prestigious reputation as a stronghold for the għannejja and daqqaqa.

For more information, contact Arts Council Malta on 2339 7000 or visit www.għanafest.com. The Żejtun festival is a ticketed event but the events in Buskett and Birżebbuġa are free of charge.