Summer is the season most people look forward to. All year round, young people wait eagerly for their three months without school, while those who work take a break to relax.

One thing the Maltese people were not used to is big entertainment events during summer, as the major source of entertainment were village feasts.

However, this last summer will long be remembered for its back to back concerts that certainly tickled the Maltese music lovers’ taste buds.

The different menagerie of artistes and music was welcomed by the Maltese young and old.

June

Summer 07 burst into life at Palace Square, Valletta on 8 June, with a massively successful performance by operatic superstar José Carreras, who wooed the audience with popular Mediterranean and more mainstream opera with our very own soprano Lydia Caruana. They sang the night away accompanied by the National Orchestra.

On 28 June, Luxol Grounds witnessed a smashing concert by Bryan Adams. Around 18,000 people danced, clapped and sang along as Bryan performed his world-famous songs, told the crowd he is part-Maltese and invited a girl to sing along with him.

July

Italian consummate artiste Orietta Berti sang some 44 songs spanning her 40 years of career to her ecstatic public on 1 July at the Argotti Gardens, Floriana.

Live Earth followed on the 7 July (07-07-07) where Marco Masini performed at Qawra, while Cathedral Square in Mdina was packed with people who flocked to listen to Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja in a concert that celebrated his career’s 10th anniversary. Mr Calleja was accompanied by his soprano wife Tatiana Lisnic, the Mirabitur Choir and the Sofia National Opera Orchestra under the baton of the Maltese conductor Brian Schembri.

Festival season loomed in mid-July as the International Blues and Wine Festival and the Malta Jazz and Rock Festival kicked off in succession, both at the Valletta Waterfront.

The first festival attracted stars such as former Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant and legendary band Smokie, while the Jazz and Rock Festival also proved a success through the participation of Italian star Zucchero, the Australian Pink Floyd, the Wailers and Nina Ferro. This festival was a brilliant showcase for Malta’s own Ivan Filletti, Chasing Pandora, The Characters and Tribali.

Mega-concert time at the Granaries, Floriana as the Isle of MTV – Malta Special took Malta by storm. People flocked in their thousands to catch a glimpse of international stars Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5 and Akon.

The concert was an important showcase for local artistes Winter Moods and Ira Losco, as well as local DJs – Toni Toni, Pierre Cordina, Ruby, Miss Roberta, Joseph Armani and JJoy.

Neapolitan song buffs surely had their fill on 28 July, as the great Renzo Arbore himself, accompanied by his Orchestra Italiana performed at the Ta’ Qali Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre.

August

August had a strong tinge of Italy to it as the major artistes on show came from the Bel Paese. On 11 August, Neapolitan singer Gigi d’Alessio entertained a sizeable crowd at Manoel Island with his ever popular songs. He also performed Cuore malato with Ira Losco.

The Valletta Waterfront witnessed another massive concert, this time round by Italian megastars Claudio Baglioni, Gianni Morandi and Riccardo Cocciante, who gave a performance on 25 August as the latest concert organised by Baglioni’s O’scià foundation.

The three stars were flanked by Maltese stars Ira Losco, Ivan Filletti and Winter Moods. Particularly moving was Baglioni’s rendition of New Cuorey’s L-Ahhar Bidwi f’Wied il-Ghasel.

Such a line up will surely be difficult to match next summer. However, the Maltese would surely appreciate organisers luring to the islands artistes such as U2, I Pooh, Laura Pausini, Celine Dion or Renato Zero.