Etnika
Encyclopedia
Etnika is one of Malta
's leading modern folk
bands founded in 2000.
The four founder members were composer Ruben Żahra (son of Trevor Żahra), traditional instrument maker Ġużi Gatt, researcher Steve Borġ
and musician Andrew Alamango. Their main task was to present a revival of old traditional Maltese instruments, at times, with a fusion with contemporary ones.
In 2000 Etnika released their first album, entitled Nafra Their second album 'Zifna' was released in 2003 and depicts the sentiment of the island nation with its cross cultural mediterranean influences.
Their efforts were rewarded by the Award of Music Achievement in the 2001 Malta Music Awards
, held in Ta'Qali
.
melodies at King's College London
. These melodies had been published by Welshman Edward Jones, formerly the bard to the Prince of Wales
, around 1807. Borġ made the melodies public through Etnika in 2000 at the official launch of an exhibition on traditional Maltese instruments. Jones, born in Bala
, North Wales
, is attributed to having collected hundreds of Welsh melodies during his walks around the principality.
At the same time composer Ruben Zahra was returning to Malta following years of academic studies at the Conservatorio di Musica di Frosinone, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
in Rome
and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
in Siena
.
Meanwhile folklorist Guzi Gatt was intrigued by an article written well over twenty years before about the demise of the Maltese bagpipe, the żaqq.
In 1977 two British students, J.K. Partridge and Frank Jeal, published their research, entitled 'The Maltese Żaqq', in The Galpin Society
Journal. It remains one of the most scholarly and informative works written in this instrument to date. Other than describing the żaqq 's musical abilities, the authors also claimed that "The Maltese, with few notable exceptions, show little interest in their own folk culture, and any artificial attempts at revival seem unlikely to succeed. It seems sad that an island that can boast an excellent Scots pipe band, can find no room to preserve, perhaps even develop, its own native bagpipe."
Gatt sought out Toni Cachia Il-Ħammarun from Naxxar
, one of Malta's remaining Maltese bagpipe builders and musicians. Well into his eighties, he had been playing the traditional instrument since the late 1920s. Cachia agreed to help Gatt in his quest of saving the żaqq from extinction.
These instruments included the flejguta (cane whistle flute), the żummara (single reed pipe
), the tanbur (frame drum
), the żafżava (friction drum) and the żaqq (Maltese bagpipe).
All were built from locally sourced materials including cane, ash, string and animal skins.
, during which the album Nafra was released. The album has eleven instrumental tracks, three of which taken from Edward Jones's
publication of circa 1807. It featured Godfrey Mifsud on clarinet, Mario Frendo on violin, David Grech on guitar, Tricia Dawn Williams on piano, Jason Fabri on drums, Joe Camilleri l-Bibi on percussion and Ruben Żahra on żaqq and other traditional instruments. Amongst the most popular tracks were Ragħaj (Shepherd) and l-Għanja tal-Mewġ' (Waves Song). Malta's eminent folklorist Guze Cassar Pullicino was amongst those present.
In 2003, a second album, Żifna (Dance), was released at the Bedouin Bar in San Giljan Malta
. This was a more acoustic album and was produced by Andrew Alamango and Andrej Vujicic. This album was favorably reviewed by Jim Foley in Rootsworld. oh yes z
under the Etnikafe concept of fusing their music with flamenco. This project also included a total of twenty musicians, including four brass musicians, three traditional musicians and two għannejja folk singers, namely Frans Baldacchino il-Budaj and Toni Spiteri Tal-Ġebel.
A few months later they collaborated with Kneehigh Theatre
from Cornwall
and a Cypriot theatrical company in a dramatic presentation called A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
in Birgu
.
Bastions.
They have performed extensively throughout Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival
near Geneva
in 2004 and North Africa, including a concert on the 29 June 2004 at the Sabratha
Roman amphitheatre in Libya
.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
's leading modern folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
bands founded in 2000.
The four founder members were composer Ruben Żahra (son of Trevor Żahra), traditional instrument maker Ġużi Gatt, researcher Steve Borġ
Steve Borg
Steve Borg in Malta is a footballer who plays as a Defender. He currently plays for Valletta FC in the Maltese Premier League and the Malta national football team.-Mosta F.C.:In 2005 he signed for local Maltese outfit Mosta F.C....
and musician Andrew Alamango. Their main task was to present a revival of old traditional Maltese instruments, at times, with a fusion with contemporary ones.
In 2000 Etnika released their first album, entitled Nafra Their second album 'Zifna' was released in 2003 and depicts the sentiment of the island nation with its cross cultural mediterranean influences.
Their efforts were rewarded by the Award of Music Achievement in the 2001 Malta Music Awards
Malta Music Awards
- Categories :* Best Male Singer* Best Female Singer* Best Group* Best C.D.* Best C.D. Compilation* Best C.D. in Maltese* Best Video* Best Composer* Best Author* Best Recording Engineer* Best Maltese Lyrics* Best C.D. Sleeve* Most Promising Artist...
, held in Ta'Qali
Ta'Qali
Ta' Qali is a village in Malta, a wide open space in the middle of Malta containing the national stadium, Ta' Qali National Park and a national vegetable market which is locally known as the Pitkalija....
.
The beginning
In 1999, researcher Steve Borġ, identified a collection of old MalteseCulture of Malta
The culture of Malta is the culture of the Maltese islanders and reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of time prior...
melodies at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. These melodies had been published by Welshman Edward Jones, formerly the bard to the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, around 1807. Borġ made the melodies public through Etnika in 2000 at the official launch of an exhibition on traditional Maltese instruments. Jones, born in Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, is attributed to having collected hundreds of Welsh melodies during his walks around the principality.
At the same time composer Ruben Zahra was returning to Malta following years of academic studies at the Conservatorio di Musica di Frosinone, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, based in Italy.It is based at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, and was founded by the papal bull, Ratione congruit, issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prominent in Western...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
The Accademia Musicale Chigiana is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classes in the major musical instruments as well as singing, conducting and composition...
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
Meanwhile folklorist Guzi Gatt was intrigued by an article written well over twenty years before about the demise of the Maltese bagpipe, the żaqq.
In 1977 two British students, J.K. Partridge and Frank Jeal, published their research, entitled 'The Maltese Żaqq', in The Galpin Society
Galpin Society
The Galpin Society was formed in October 1946 to further research into the history, construction, development and use of musical instruments...
Journal. It remains one of the most scholarly and informative works written in this instrument to date. Other than describing the żaqq 's musical abilities, the authors also claimed that "The Maltese, with few notable exceptions, show little interest in their own folk culture, and any artificial attempts at revival seem unlikely to succeed. It seems sad that an island that can boast an excellent Scots pipe band, can find no room to preserve, perhaps even develop, its own native bagpipe."
Gatt sought out Toni Cachia Il-Ħammarun from Naxxar
Naxxar
Naxxar is a village in the central north of Malta, with a population of about 13,647 people . The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The feast is celebrated on September 8...
, one of Malta's remaining Maltese bagpipe builders and musicians. Well into his eighties, he had been playing the traditional instrument since the late 1920s. Cachia agreed to help Gatt in his quest of saving the żaqq from extinction.
The Maltese traditional instruments
The Etnika project also aimed at resuscitating traditional Maltese instruments that had fallen out of use and presenting these forgotten soundscapes to Maltese society, with an aim to raise national consciousness.These instruments included the flejguta (cane whistle flute), the żummara (single reed pipe
Reed pipe
A reed pipe is an organ pipe that is sounded by a vibrating brass strip known as a reed. Air under pressure is directed towards the reed, which vibrates at a specific pitch. This is in contrast to flue pipes, which contain no moving parts and produce sound solely through the vibration of air...
), the tanbur (frame drum
Frame drum
A frame drum is a drum that has a drumhead width greater than its depth. Usually the single drumhead is made of rawhide or man-made materials. Shells are traditionally constructed of bent wood scarf jointed together; plywood and man-made materials are also used. Some frame drums have mechanical...
), the żafżava (friction drum) and the żaqq (Maltese bagpipe).
All were built from locally sourced materials including cane, ash, string and animal skins.
2000 Nafra
Etnika gave their first public concert during the Evenings on Campus festival on 29 August 2000 at the Atriju Vassalli in the University of MaltaUniversity of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, during which the album Nafra was released. The album has eleven instrumental tracks, three of which taken from Edward Jones's
Edward Jones (harpist)
Edward Jones was a Welsh harpist, bard, performer, composer, arranger, and collector of music. He was commonly known by the bardic name of "Bardd y Brenin", which he took in 1820, when King George IV, his patron, came to the throne....
publication of circa 1807. It featured Godfrey Mifsud on clarinet, Mario Frendo on violin, David Grech on guitar, Tricia Dawn Williams on piano, Jason Fabri on drums, Joe Camilleri l-Bibi on percussion and Ruben Żahra on żaqq and other traditional instruments. Amongst the most popular tracks were Ragħaj (Shepherd) and l-Għanja tal-Mewġ' (Waves Song). Malta's eminent folklorist Guze Cassar Pullicino was amongst those present.
In 2003, a second album, Żifna (Dance), was released at the Bedouin Bar in San Giljan Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. This was a more acoustic album and was produced by Andrew Alamango and Andrej Vujicic. This album was favorably reviewed by Jim Foley in Rootsworld. oh yes z
2003 Bumbum show at Fort Saint Elmo, Valletta
In July and August 2003, Etnika presented three concerts entitled Bumbum, at Fort St. Elmo VallettaValletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
under the Etnikafe concept of fusing their music with flamenco. This project also included a total of twenty musicians, including four brass musicians, three traditional musicians and two għannejja folk singers, namely Frans Baldacchino il-Budaj and Toni Spiteri Tal-Ġebel.
Kneehigh Theatre
Kneehigh Theatre is an international theatre company based in Cornwall, England.Kneehigh was started in 1980 by Mike Shepherd. Early productions were performed in village halls, marquees, cliff-tops and quarries...
from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and a Cypriot theatrical company in a dramatic presentation called A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" is a fictional short story by author Gabriel García Márquez written in 1955. It falls within the genre of magic realism, and is one of the short stories included in the book Leaf Storm.-Plot summary:...
in Birgu
Birgu
Birgu is an ancient city in Malta. It played a vital role in the Siege of Malta in 1565. Its population stood at 2,633 in December 2008.-History:...
.
2004 Il-Ħolma Ġgantija at Valletta Bastions
In 2004 Etnika produced Il-Ħolma Ġgantija (The Giant Dream) beneath the VallettaValletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
Bastions.
They have performed extensively throughout Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
near Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in 2004 and North Africa, including a concert on the 29 June 2004 at the Sabratha
Sabratha
Sabratha, Sabratah or Siburata , in the Zawiya District in the northwestern corner of modern Libya, was the westernmost of the "three cities" of Tripolis. From 2001 to 2007 it was the capital of the former Sabratha wa Sorman District. It lies on the Mediterranean coast about west of Tripoli...
Roman amphitheatre in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.