National identity in Maltese popular songs of the 1970s

Abstract

This dissertation explores how national identity in Maltese popular songs manifests during the 1970s, a crucial period marked by socio-political transformations in Malta. Through an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from musicology, cultural studies, and history, the study investigates how popular music served as a platform for expressing and negotiating the evolving Maltese national identity. Drawing on a combination of historical research, textual and musical analysis, and interviews with musicians, this study examines the themes, lyrics, and musical styles of popular songs from the 1970s. It explores how these songs reflected and shaped perceptions of Maltese identity amidst significant shifts, including decolonisation, political independence, and socio-cultural changes. Themes such as Maltese seascapes and landscapes, traditions, love, and family life emanate as central motifs in the lyrics and musical compositions of the era. Moreover, the study inquires into the role of Maltese musicians as cultural liaisons, in local traditions and affairs happening in the 1970s and their role in the construction of Maltese identity. Popular music served not only as entertainment but also as a source of cultural expression and identity formation, contributing to what it meant to be Maltese in a rapidly changing world.