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 the facts while capturing the emotional weight of the events they recount.
Over a career spanning more than thirty years, Spagnol has written numerous fatti about tragedies, historical incidents and well-known figures in Maltese society. His repertoire includes songs about events such as the Um El-Faroud tanker explosion, the Simshar fishing boat disaster, and other significant moments in Malta’s recent history.
A guitarist as well as a singer, Spagnol remains an active figure in the għana community. Through his performances and compositions, he continues to preserve and transmit a tradition in which storytelling, memory and music intersect to document the lives and experiences of Maltese communities.
References:
https://timesofmalta.com/article/zeppi-spagnol-ghana-fatt-maltese-folk-music.1121984 http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/%C5%BBeppi_Spagnol_il-Kelba
Performances by the artist: