1st Edition

Studies in Maltese Popular Music

By Philip Ciantar Copyright 2021
210 Pages 57 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

210 Pages 57 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

210 Pages 57 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book examines the diverse facets of popular music in Malta, paying special attention to għana (Malta’s folk song), the wind band tradition, and modern popular music. Ciantar provides intriguing discussions and examples of how popular music on this small Mediterranean island country interacts with other aspects of the island’s life and culture such as language, religion, history, customs,... Read more
Introduction 
1 Studies and Snippets in Maltese Popular Music 
Għana: Legacy, Meanings, and New Directions 
Għana and its Parallels in the Mediterranean: Music, Expression, and Performance 
4 Saints, Wind Bands, and Meanings 
5 The Process of Musical Translation: Composing a Maltese Festa Band March from Libyan Ma’lūf Music 
6 The Singer as Individual: Pop Singers, Music, and Political Propaganda in Contemporary Maltese Electoral Campaigns 
Epilogue 
Glossary
References
Audio and Visual Musical Examples
Index

Biography

Philip Ciantar is a senior lecturer in music at the School of Performing Arts, University of Malta. His research interests include Maltese popular music, world music analysis, and North African music. He is the author of The Ma'lūf in Contemporary Libya: An Arab Andalusian Musical Tradition (Ashgate 2012; Routledge 2016) and various articles in ethnomusicology.