Jazz in Valletta's Strait Street : the transcultural transmission of musical knowledge in colonial Malta

Abstract

Malta was part of the British Empire for over 150 years before gaining independence in September 1964. Throughout this period, the social, cultural, and commercial life of Valletta, Malta’s capital, was closely intertwined with naval activities in the city’s Grand Harbour. Strait Street, located near the Grand Harbour, became a hub of nightly entertainment for both the Maltese and the many servicemen stationed in Malta. Local jazz musicians who regularly performed in the numerous bars and restaurants on Strait Street had the opportunity to interact with and eventually perform alongside foreign artists and trained jazz musicians. Interviews with local musicians who were active on Strait Street between the 1940s and early 1960s highlight the significance of this setting in their acquisition of jazz knowledge. American and British jazz musicians stranded in Malta due to the outbreak of World War II, along with military bandsmen serving on warships moored in the Grand Harbour, imparted their jazz expertise to local musicians through private tuition, joint rehearsals, performances, and even on-board naval ship jazz sessions. This article sheds light on processes of transcultural musical collaboration that occurred on Strait Street, which facilitated the flow of musical knowledge. The discussion draws on the aforementioned interviews and relevant theories that link the transmission of knowledge with human contact and mobility. In this context, the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired by individual musicians in a transcultural setting are shown to be of great value both for personal growth and for the development of a musical tradition that ultimately relies on the contributions of individual musicians for its growth and sustainability.