The National Folklore Commission within the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts announces the ninth National Folk Singing Festival to be held on 26, 27 and 28 May at Argotti Gardens, Floriana. The performances start at 7pm.

Founded in May 1998, the First National Ghana Folk Singing Festival was a success with the participation of over 60 amateur and leading exponents. This year’s edition features a host of Maltese folk singers and musicians, and the participation of Mediterranean folk groups from Ragusa, Spain, Libya and Tunisia.

This year’s festival will present Maltese folk singing or ghana in its three sub-genres: l-ghana spirtu pront (extemporised singing), the most highly developed form revolving round values at the core of Maltese society although the singing appears to be focusing on insignificant and banal facts; l-ghana tal-fatt (ballad singing), and l-ghana la Bormliza or l-ghana fil-gholi (singing in high register), sung by two singers (although it could also be sung solo): this is made up of one standard line usually repeated by each singer and followed by two improvised lines (kadenza/gadenza).

There is also another genre of oral poetry: handed-down songs, popularly called

l-ghana tal-banju (lit. “folk singing at the washing fountain”) the singing of which is still a living tradition though with different semiotic implications and displaced performances, invariably sung or recited in quatrains (ghanjiet).

Various innovative events introduced in past editions are meant to be kept even this year, such as a monitor where translations in Maltese and English are presented for the local and foreign members of the audience as well as Maltese traditional and typical food on order. A live crafts exhibition by Maltese artisans with the collaboration of the Malta Crafts Council will also be held. The festival will be screened live on www.di-ve.com.

Admission tickets will be available as from 15 May from The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts at 230, Republic Street, Valletta; Tel: 21 245 168 (opening hours from 08:00 to 16:00), or from the Booking Office at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta; Tel.: 21 223 291 or at the door prior to the performance.

The price of tickets is Lm1 for each evening.