Reconnecting with your musical roots doesn’t need to be a mundane affair. On the contrary, it can be an experience which is beyond enriching and engaging. In fact, that’s what Ritmu Roots Festival will be doing between the 17th and 25th of May by putting a spotlight on Malta’s folk music tradition, għana.

However, this festival isn’t only dedicated to għana; it places it in the context of other music traditions and experimentations through workshops, an exhibition and concerts spread over three locations, culminating in a full-blow celebration at Argotti Gardens in Floriana on the 24th and 25th May.

This year, Ritmu Roots Festival is inviting you to celebrate everything that is Maltese by kickstarting the 10-day-festival with a free traditional għana serata hosted in Mikiel Cumbo ‘L-Iżgej’s’ garage in the cradle of għana, Żejtun.

This evening is an opportunity for anyone and everyone to take part in one of the most quintessentially Maltese experiences; gathering together in one space, eating together and listening to għannejja (Maltese folk singers) and daqqaqa (guitarists).

After the festivities start with a bang in Żejtun, the festival will then take you to The Splendid in Valletta where a week of concerts and workshops will begin. This commences on the 19th with the opening of Il-Qagħda tal-Mument, an audio-visual installation using archival content from the Magna Żmien archive of Frans Baldacchino ‘Il-Budaj’, the għannej to whom the festival is dedicated to this year.

This will then be complemented by an intimate performance by għannejja Mariele Zammit and artist Karen Caruana who will be guiding performers through the space through a performance of poetry and għana written by ‘Il-Budaj’ himself.

The Splendid will also be hosting a series of workshops with some of the finest traditional musicians that Malta has to offer, as well as guests invited from Sicily, Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean, who will be conducting introductory workshops to instruments from their own musical traditions.

The Ritmu festival will then culminate in two nights of celebrating our communities through music at Argotti Gardens. On the 24th and 25th May, Ritmu will have an absolute cornucopia of music at these gardens with acts such as DUO RUUT (Estonia), Nefalo Project (Greece), Prejjem u Għana ma’ Ta’ Nofsillejl (Malta) and Loccisano & De Carolis (Italy).

The festival at the gardens will also include traditional Maltese food served to you in collaboration with Heritage Malta’s Taste History and a selection of artisanal stalls.

So, does Ritmu float your boat? Follow this Festival organised by Festivals Malta on Facebook and Instagram and have a look at the full programme here.

Will you be attending Ritmu Festival this year?

Photo credit: Ritmu Roots Festival 2023 by Elisa Von Brockdorff