Time & Location
23 May 2026, 21:45 – 22:30 CEST
L-Argotti, L-Argotti, Il-Furjana, Malta
About the event
Over a period of more than 30 years, Ġużeppi Spagnol has written around 300 għana tal-fatt ballads to perform himself. On the second evening of Festgħana, we will hear his ballad about Fredu Abela ż-Żejtuni, a well-known and much-loved folk singer who passed away in December 2024.
Żeppi Spagnol il-Kelba is one of Malta’s most prominent practitioners of għana tal-fatt, the narrative form of Maltese folk singing that recounts real events in poetic verse. Born in Żejtun in 1950 and widely known as Iż-Żejtuni (translated as “from Żejtun”) or il-Kelba (translated as “the dog”), Spagnol has spent decades documenting Maltese social history through song.
His approach to composing a fatt resembles investigative work: he researches events carefully, speaks to families involved and gathers detailed information before transforming the story into a long narrative song that can last well over half an hour. Through this method he ensures that the songs remain faithful to…