This Saturday: L-Għana Malti Ħaj Illum - An Għana Symposium that Brings Together Research, Practice and the Għana Community
Verdala Palace will host a full day of discussion on the past, present and future of Maltese għana on Saturday, 17 October 2026.
On Saturday, 17 October 2026, Verdala Palace will host L-Għana Malti Ħaj Illum – National Symposium on Maltese Għana, a full day dedicated to the study, preservation and future of Maltese għana.
The symposium is organised by Reġjun Punent, in collaboration with Festivals Malta, the Culture Directorate and the M3P Foundation.
The programme begins at 8:15am with registration and coffee, followed by the official opening of the symposium. Among those addressing the opening will be Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli, Minister for Local Government and Public Works, and Sandro Azzopardi, President of Reġjun Punent. This will be followed by an introductory address by Prof. Toni Sant, titled The State of Maltese Għana.
Throughout the day, four thematic panels will offer a broad examination of Maltese għana from historical, musical, social and contemporary perspectives.
The first panel, The Preservation of Għana, will focus on the need for a national approach to preserving għana, the value of informal recordings, and the impact of colonial broadcasting on the tradition. Speakers include Dr Steve Borg, Charlo Pisani and Prof. Toni Sant, with Dr Jeanine Rizzo as chair.
The second panel, Understanding Għana in Musical Contexts, will explore għana through ethnomusicology, the transcription of historical repertoire, and the instruments that have accompanied the tradition over the years. Participants will include Prof. Philip Ciantar, Dr Alex Vella Gregory and Dr Anna Borg Cardona, with Prof. Jean Paul Baldacchino as chair.
In the afternoon, the panel Spontaneity, Tradition and Public Renewal will examine memory in improvisation, għana as a form of orality and communication, and the role of public spaces in the transmission of the tradition. Speakers will be Yanika Schembri Fava, Yvette Grech Buhagiar and George Mario Attard, with Ranier Fsadni as chair.
The fourth panel, The Development of Maltese Għana: From the Individual to UNESCO, will consider contemporary research and the future of the tradition. Dr Andrew Pace and Kris Polidano will speak about Research on Għana at Magna Żmien, while Prof. Jean Paul Baldacchino will present Għana, UNESCO and Beyond.
The formal part of the symposium will conclude with a collective discussion titled Maltese Għana and Music: What Will Future Generations Inherit?, featuring the participation of all speakers.
At 6:00pm, the programme will move beyond the symposium format and continue in the gardens of Verdala Palace with a live għana session by Ġużeppi Spagnol and his musicians, followed by a reception.
L-Għana Malti Ħaj Illum forms part of the first edition of Festgħana fil-Ħarifa, taking place between 16 and 18 October 2026.
This event will be in Maltese.
Registration for the symposium is required. Registration can be completed through the Festivals Malta portal:https://shorturl.at/gcDtD
