Tuesday, 25 February 2014

When folk music meets modern music



Maltese folk instuments such as iż-Żaqq (bagpipe), iż-Żummara (reed pipe), il-Flejguta (cane flute), it-Tanbur (frame drum) and iż-Żafżafa (friction drum), were on the verge of extinction by the 1970s. In 1999 Ruben Zahra and his collaborators established the Etnika revival project to establish Malta’s music heritage back to its culture. 

We have invited Mr Ruben Zahra to our school. His presentation portrayed a profile of these folk instruments where he illustrated each instrument with live demonstrations as well as video and audio samples. The presentation also exposed the crafting techniques and the role of the instruments within the local socio-cultural context. 

Malta’s music heritage reveals an interesting crossroads of North African, Southern European influences and Byzantine influences.  












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