Arts Council Malta today announced the launch of the Malta World Music Festival (MWMF), with its first edition being held on 19 and 20 May at Fort St Elmo.
The festival’s Artistic Director Renzo Spiteri said yesterday: “I would like this festival to be seen as a celebration of cultural diversity and a dynamic platform for the exchange and dialogue of artistic ideas, the result of which is expressed so vibrantly through the powerful medium of music. I am very excited to be the Artistic Director for the very first edition of the Malta World Music Festival. A fantastic line-up awaits our crowds this May.”
The festival promises two evenings of energetic and vibrant music by top-notch artists. This year’s edition of the festival will be opened by Brodu, an alternative Maltese band formed in 2011 who will be launching their second album in the coming months. Playing rock music with influences from various genres, Brodu will bring music in our native Maltese language to the festival.
Tsuumi Sound System – an eight-piece Finnish modern folk music band rooted in Nordic folk traditions will follow. Tiwiza – a Franco-Algerian group with a North African tradition based on the notion of solidarity as their name – play a fusion of percussion rhythms, nomad desert blues, powerful arrangements and engaging lyrics.
The Khoury Project, a trio of brothers playing contemporary music which combines identifiable Arabic forms with globalized rhythms, will open the second day of the festival. Though faithful to the tradition of classical Arabic music, The Khoury Project have fused it with other genres such as opera, flamenco, Celtic, Indian and jazz, making it dynamic and appealing to different audiences.
Sona Jobarteh’s voice, known through her contribution in film scores such as ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ will also be heard during this edition of the festival. Apart from her captivating vocals, Jobarteh is best known as the first female kora virtuoso, a usually male-dominated tradition passed on from father to son. She has modernised the presentation of kora music – a 21-stringed African harp – bringing a rhythmic edge to her compositions which are very up to date and fit her remarkable singing.
The festival will close with BandAdriatica, a project in which music is created from the encounters and exchange of people and their traditional repertoires, contributing to the continuous development of traditional music and in keeping with the festival's aim of celebrating cultural diversity.
Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici commented: “With great pleasure, we are launching another festival, this time going with the World Music genre. We will be welcoming among us international artists however still showcasing the local talent.”
Dr Bonnici added that, “in this legislature, we recognised that artistic expression and cultural activity are important not only as a means of entertainment, but also because we believe that they carry enormous importance for our society’s development, also from an economic perspective.
“Originally a folk festival which has now been streamlined, the World Music Festival embraces award-winning international musicians and local emerging artists in genres that span from traditional to contemporary. The inclusive nature and elasticity of world music as a musical category may have posed for a festival which did not have a clear identity. However, this year, it has been given a rather tempting new look. It is fresher, trendy and carefully curated,” said Annabelle Stivala, Director of Festivals at Arts Council Malta. The festival, appealing especially to young audiences, will transmit a strong sense of energy, movement and world music flavours.