Iż-żaqq : the Maltese bagpipe

Abstract

The Maltese bagpipe, known as iż-żaqq, is one of a good number of Maltese traditional instruments. It was traditionally played on Christmas night, Carnival, wedding celebrations, and simply for entertainment purposes. It is a rather crude-looking folk instrument carried beneath either arm. It is made up of an inflated large complete white or brown animal skin (excluding head) of a cat, dog, calf or goat, fur side up. However it is otherwise always complete with all four legs pointing upwards. The air supply is introduced into the bag through a very narrow pipe inserted into the left foreleg. The żaqq musician plays with both hands, left hand above right, on a double chanter or a two parallel chanter pipes (qimi/qwiemi) attached to the neck opening. The pipes have at least five finger-holes on the right and one on the left. Both pipes terminate in one single animal horn/ bell (qarn).