Maltese Għana: : Some Remarks on the Process of Invention

Oral sung composition (Għana pron. aana), with musical accompaniment on the guitar, is still a living art in Malta. There has been a remarkable revival since the First Folk Singing Festival was organized in 1953. For many years the authors of this essay have been studying the structure and content of extemporized quatrains (spirtu pront). This type of singing is defined, with particular reference to a singer’s training through contact with older folk-poets and a vivid description of the atmosphere pervading an għana session. The ability to rhyme and other qualities that make a good għannej (pron. annej) are defined and stressed.

In this analysis of a vast collection of spirtu pront quatrains the authors give an insight into the process of invention, identifying the various ‘tools’ at the għannej’s disposal when improvising, such as stock words and phrases, themes and symbols, formulaic lines and rhymes. In so doing they pave the way for further research in depth, and for consideration of the musical and vocal elements by ethnomusicologists.