Għana

Abstract

Għana (pronounced ‘ aana ,’ the għ is soundless in Maltese when falling at the beginning or the middle of a word) is the general term for Malta’s folk singing. Although there are different substyles of għana the most popular are the għana spirtu pront , għana tal-fatt and għana la Bormliża. The spirtu pront , as it is more conveniently called, is the most popular of the three as it is the most frequently performed. Th is type of għana can be briefly described as an improvised song duel between two to three pairs of male għannejja (‘singers’; pronounced ‘anneyya’) that unfold in the course of the same session. Tal-fatt , as it is commonly known, refers to Malta’s narrative singing. This is sung by a solo għannej (‘singer’; pronounced ‘annei’) who, throughout his performance, seeks to retain the attention of the listeners to the development of a story. The la Bormliża may be sung by either two għannejja who alternate verses or by a solo singer. Other substyles of għana which are heard only occasionally, mainly during the annual Malta Folk Song Festival, are the għana fuq il-kelma (that is, singing on a word proposed by members of the audience), għana tal-banju (traditionally sung by women whilst doing the washing outside) and għana maqsum (a competitive type of singing between two għannejja in which one must take up and complete a rhymed quatrain initiated by the other). Three common stylistic features in all għana , however, are the use of a loud and tensed voice, proper rhyming and triadic accompaniment provided by two to three guitarists (known in the environment of għana as daqqaqa , i.e., players).