Ħrejjef, 2013
Synopsis
A retelling of four traditional Maltese folktales, accompanied by live piano music and digital animation. Stories of Maltese fantasy characters – the Giant, the Witch, the Dragon – are brought to life through voice and gesture, while new music provides a musical commentary. The digital animation is created in a shadow-puppet style, featuring decorative elements inspired by lace, filigree, and other Maltese aesthetic motifs. An artist will guide children to draw the characters, which are then brought to life digitally. Each child will become the proud owner of a personalised e-book, featuring their own illustrations.
Programme Note
ĦREJJEF ‘Maltese Folktales’ is a captivating, interdisciplinary production which brings together traditional folktales, shadow puppetry, contemporary music and digital animation. At its core lies a collection of four Maltese folktales, presented in the style of a traditional storyteller accompanied by a live music score that acts as a soundtrack to the stories. The music of Ruben Zahra for this project was originally composed as a piano solo. For Żigużajg 2013 Ruben Zahra has adapted the music for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. The animations have been developed to reflect the style of shadow puppetry. The digital puppets are highly ornamented with decorative perforations inspired from Maltese baroque motifs, filigree and traditional lace. Furthermore, Żigużajg 2013 has developed ĦREJJEF into a cinematic 3D experience in collaboration with the Embassy Cinema complex. While the actor narrates the folktales the characters of the stories come to life on the silver screen.
ĦREJJEF is a Soundscapes production conceived and composed by Ruben Zahra; narrator: Joseph Galea; script: Trevor Zahra; animation produced by Shadeena, directed and animated by Martin Bonniċi; production design by Nel Pace; Videos commissioned by Żigużajg Arts Festival for Children and Young People 2012/13.
Ruben Zahra
Ruben Zahra - composer
Ruben Zahra is a composer, video artist and producer committed to contemporary interdisciplinary expression. His productions tour internationally in major festivals and opera houses portraying a blend of contemporary music, video-art, theatre and choreography. After graduating from the University of Malta in Music & Theatre Studies he was awarded a scholarship by the Italian Cultural Institute to further his studies in Italy. He studied composition and orchestration with Azio Corghi at the National Music Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome, electronic music with Giorgio Nottoli and film music with Ennio Morricone. In 2000 he moved to the USA following a master’s degree in composition at Mills College in Oakland, California. In 2002 he moved to Los Angeles and spent two years working for the Hollywood film industry as a soundtrack composer and music editor. Since 2004 he has been based in Malta and works internationally as a freelance composer and producer.
Tricia Dawn Williams - pianist
Tricia Dawn Williams is a Maltese pianist of Irish and Welsh descent who is known for applying multimedia innovation and experimental technologies to contemporary music. She creates immersive performances blending video art, electronic soundscapes and extended piano techniques that include motion-capture technology via the MYO band. Her international career features landmark performances at venues including Les Invalides (Paris), Kennedy Center of Performing Arts (Washington) Montreal’s Satosphère. A champion of new music, she has commissioned and premiered the work of various composers and earned international recognition for her project Transition, selected for the Classical:Next live showcase in 2019 among 11 major innovative projects. Williams has also developed an international following among toy piano enthusiasts. Recent highlights include the Kinderklavier Concerto with the Brno Contemporary Orchestra and the ToyPiano+ project, involving 13 composers and video artists.
Joseph Galea - actor
Joseph Galea works as a theater and television actor, producer, and director, as well as an author. He trained in theatrical arts at the Mikelanġ Borġ Drama Centre between 1996 and 1999. As an actor, director, and writer, his works have been featured at the Manoel Theatre, Spazju Kreattiv, and during various festivals in Malta. Galea was one of the founders of the Cospicua Short Play Festival. In recent years, he has had several theater projects featured as part of the Culture Pass program in schools. Il-Qarċilla, an ancient Carnival tradition, was reintroduced under Galea’s direction in 2014. On television, Joseph has had roles in various drama productions, including Pupi, for which he won the Best Actor award at the 2007 Malta Television Awards. Since 2001, he has produced and directed television series on local stations, including entertainment programs, drama, satire, docudrama, and documentaries. Galea always seeks to collaborate with other entities, groups, and artists, believing this to be the best way to create innovative, high-quality projects. In 2022, together with Tyrone Grima, he won the Arts Award for Innovation with the production Zoom.
In collaboration, Wirt iż-Żejtun, Ta’ Xbiex Kunsill Lokali & Isla Kunsill Lokali