Did you know? Next Saturday marks not only the 60th anniversary of Malta’s independence but also 60 years since ‘The Maltese Hymn’ was adopted as the National Anthem!

The National Archives of Malta have shared a written communication dating from 1964 between the Independence Festivities Committee and the general manager of Rediffusion, the company that had the sole right of presenting news and entertainment on radio and television to the Maltese population back in the 1960s.

The name of the anthem is, in fact, ‘L-Innu Malti’ or ‘The Hymn of Malta’ in English. It is written in the form of a prayer to God, and was composed by Robert Samut, with lyrics written by Dun Karm Psaila, widely recognised as Malta’s national poet.

During the early 60s, when Malta was on the road to independence, there were ongoing efforts to help ‘The Maltese Hymn’ gain popularity among the Maltese, given its transition to becoming the official Maltese National Anthem.

The letter shared by the National Archives outlines some of these efforts, which included a children’s choir being taught the anthem and performing it while being broadcast on the local radio. A 23-minute live television documentary was broadcast on Maltese television on the 21st of August 1964, and for the first two weeks of September that year leading up to the first Independence Day, the ‘Maltese Hymn’ was sung before the early news bulletin everyday, with the lyrics of the song superimposed on the Maltese flag.

Do you know the words to Malta’s National Anthem?