Studies in Maltese Popular Music

"This book examines the diverse facets of popular music in Malta, paying special attention to gh̳ana (Malta's folk song), the wind band tradition, and modern popular music. Ciantar provides intriguing discussions and examples of how popular music in the small Mediterranean island state of Malta intermingles with other aspects of the island's life and culture such as language, politics, colonialism, religion and history. Through a series of ethnographic vignettes, the book explores the music as it takes place in bars, at festivals, during village celebrations, on social media, and in family gatherings. The ethnography shown here is that of a native musician and ethnomusicologist and therefore syncretises the author's memories with ongoing observations and their evaluation"--