Since the early 20th century, and particularly in post-war Malta, the public practice of traditional chant, għana (Maltese traditional folk singing), has been dominated by men. Typically improvised four-line stanzas, accompanied by guitars, words and sung poetry serve as a catharsis; both individual and collective.
As part of the Ritmu Roots festival this week, an event Nisa, Jgħannu – Women Chanting on May 23 looks as traditional għana from a woman’s perspective. Times 2 talks to Artistic Director Florinda Camilleri to find out more.
How did you get interested in għana and the public practice of traditional chant, and why do you think it is important for it to be showcased?
In the context of increasing loneliness and isolation, I am curious about experiences of communal catharsis: moments of connection and release, convergences of energies, stories, and realities, within a shared and co-created space of expression. I feel it is fundamentally vital for communities to connect through embodied practices, be it dancing, singing, cooking, or simply spending time together with no particular end point in mind. Għana seems to be one of the few prevailing practices which facilitate a catharsis of sorts, while also celebrating and honouring Maltese and Mediterranean oral and musical traditions. Alongside this, the invisibility of women in the field of għana intrigued me, and made me wonder if we could facilitate spaces and experiences like this for women.
What is the difference between the traditional għana of the men and women?
There are many differences, and many similarities: the main difference of which I am aware, and which lies at the root of this project, is the spaces in which għana happens. Għana circles of men traditionally happen in bars, and now in garages – male-dominated public spaces. While women’s għana circles happened in domestic spaces – across rooftops and balconies, at the għajn tal-ħasselin (wash houses around natural water springs). Public performances of għana by women are difficult to come by, with very little documentation, particularly because public għana circles happen in male-dominated contexts. Within this project, we attempt to create spaces in which women feel comfortable to sound their voice(s) both privately and publicly.
Here is an excerpt from our version of a traditional folk song Bumm Bumm il-Bieb (written by Rachelle Deguara), where we tell the story from the young woman’s perspective :
Lili l-ambaxxatur irid
iżda b’ħajti rrid aħjar
mhux nintefa ma’ dar-raġel
innaddaf u nsefter id-dar.
The performance will include some more traditional għana which is called għana tal-banju (songs performed by women when washing laundry), and some more contemporary għana. The contemporary pieces were devised within this project, by women from different artistic backgrounds – from theatre, to rap, to electronic music, jazz, and spoken word. Here [the team] took the leap of engaging with the għana tradition from different positions, with a lot of respect, allowing our unique strengths and artistic skills to enter into conversation with rather than trying to reproduce the għana form. So expect some variety and surprises!
Why do you think it is important to give women this chance to contribute their voices, and what do you hope the collective project will achieve?
I feel it’s important for everyone to engage with our heritage. In this way, ownership of our cultural identity is shared and not skewed towards certain types of citizens. I believe the value of this project has already been felt by all its participants, and I hope that this is just the beginning of a longer communal project which brings a fresh engagement with għana and a new appreciation for all that it offers.
Event details
Ritmu Roots runs from May 21-24
