Makjetta

Abstract

Makjetta (plural makjetti ) is a style of Maltese humorous song. A makjetta may be sung as a solo or as a duet. The makjista , that is, the one who sings makjetta, may come either from the environment of Maltese folk singing ( għana ) or from other domains of popular entertainment, such as comic theater and mainstream local modern pop music. Th is singing is always accompanied either by guitars, especially when performed in the context of għana , or by a synthesizer or any other instrumental ensemble when performed outside għana . Some makjetta texts are the work of the singer, while others are not. In either case, a makjetta emerges as a long poem with rhymed quatrains which the singer either memorizes or follows from a script. Short instrumental interludes in between stanzas are a necessity, especially when a makjetta is sung by a solo singer. In such a case, these interludes provide the singer with the chance to regain his breath in the context of a rather lively tempo. Makjetti are performed during Iljieli Maltin (Maltese Nights), which are regularly held all through summer, either as open-air festivities in villages or in tourist entertainment venues, such as hotels.