The art project that has caused a sonic revolution in Maltese roots music, is presenting its new Karavan Petlor – a humorous, all-round Maltese spectacle with local sounds, local lyrics, new fresh tunes and ideas, jam-packed with energy and an audio-visual feast, a must-see on this year’s summer arts festival calendar.

Artistic yet full of amusement and fun, this year’s concert on Friday, Saturday and Sunday proposes a new and exciting repertoire covering themes that reflect local social and environmental issues like immigration, hunting, urbanisation and over-development, with songs like Merill Bang Bang, Kollox Tal-Plastik, Klandestini Rock, Bejgh u Bejgh, Sicca Ska and a Twistees Samba.

The latest repertoire is forged on traditional instruments, groovy sounds and riotous tambourines, gutsy folk cries, stomping feet and body percussion, as Etnikafe 07 takes its stand at the Royal Opera House. It will feature a whole new array of grooves and beats, lyrics and melodies which will humorously popularise its music with a new and young generation through dance and fun music eligible for radio hits and a collaboration with several upcoming artists.

This is this year’s line-up: Andrew Alamango on a range of guitars, Walter Vella on saxophone, Maltese reed and wind instruments, Oliver Degabriele on double and electric bass, Sandro Zerafa on guitar and percussion, Andrej Vujicic, Jason Fabri, Michael Galea on percussion. Brass band, consisting of Roger and Effie Azzopardi on trumpets, Jonathan Abela on trombone, Chris Spiteri on tuba, Francesca Grima on dance and percussion, Julie Pomorski, Alison Galea of Beangrowers and Mario Vella of Brikkuni on voice, John IQ rapping in Maltese and scratch artist Morgan, Annabelle with a group of dancers and performance artists, DJ Danjeli with samplers and midi.

This year Etnika will be touring Greece in July for the Festival for Dialogue of Cultures in the island of Icaria, Bilbao in Spain in September and The Festival of World Music in Marseilles in October.

Since its inception in the year 2000, Etnika has been the flag-bearer for raising the awareness of traditional Maltese music and its musical heritage both locally and internationally.

• Venue: The Royal Opera House, Valletta as part of the Malta Summer Arts Festival in collaboration with the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the Ministry for Tourism and Culture.

• Time: 9pm

• Price: Lm6

Tickets can be purchased online from maltaticket.com or from Agenda Bookshops, Exotique Outlets and News Kiosk in Sliema.