Rarer in the wild these days. A Maltese rabbit that had better watch out. It's a tradition to eat it on the feast of L'Imnajra.

The public holiday known as ‘L’Imnajra’ that falls on 29 June, has to be one of Malta’s most obscure in origin and defies neat description. In the religious calendar, the day marks the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, but this Maltese celebration, which starts on the night of 28 June and carries on all the next day into evening, is probably less to do with religion and more about rural life, country past-times and folk music.

It’s a bit of a medley really. It’s also associated with one place only in Malta, as people flock to celebrate it in Buskett Gardens that lie between Rabat and Dingli. It’s a family affair with people taking picnics and tents to spend a night out under the small pines which make up Malta’s largest stretch of woodland, planted by the Knights as a hunting grounds.

The feast has roots dating back well before the time of the Knights in Malta. ‘L’Imnajra’ is the Maltese corruption of the Italian word ‘Luminara’ meaning festival of light. The feast’s celebrations were once marked by bonfires lit in Mdina and Rabat, so folklore has it.

What to Expect
The night is characterised by general merry-making and its sociable atmosphere, with people bringing along instruments and making music. Local folk and ethnic-inspired bands usually turn up to play and set the scene. Families have BBQs and picnics and kids romp around. Traditionally, people take rabbit (Fenek) stew to eat. It’s a Maltese national dish and there’s even a Maltese word for ‘going out to eat rabbit’ – Fenkata! Some families and groups of friends make a complete summer night of L’Imarja and camp out.

The following day sees more organised rural pursuits: there is an agricultural show, which gets larger each year (seems to be a trend in Malta recently) as well as traditional bare-back horse and donkey races on Saqqajja Hill below Mdina. So expect some traffic chaos and roads blocked around that area.

Visitor Value
If you want to see some real Malta, then this could be worth a visit. It’s not the sheer exuberance of a village feast, as it’s more a summer folklore and farming affair. But it does have a certain appeal and charm. You will need to bus it there (Bus 81 from Valletta seems the best bet). Take some food and drink, get stuck in, and go with the flow. This is an impromptu affair in some ways, where people make their own fun.

Photo: John Haslam

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As unpredictable as a rubber ball on a waterbed! See them live to find out.

We’ve already mentioned Xtruppaw’s first album in a previous article, but now is the chance to see them perform their mad assortment of tunes live at Xtruppaw Lajv at the Buskett Roadhouse, 12 September, Buskett, limits of Rabat. In the run-up to the gig, I managed to get in touch with front man Jeffrey Galea for some insider information about the goings-on down Xtruppaw way.

What’s the idea behind this concert?
Fun is what Xtruppaw is all about. Our gigs guarantee a great event where humour and satire are in the limelight. As our fans know, everything can be expected from our live performances, and we have never disappointed.

Apart from tracks off your first album, should we expect anything new?
Of course, we could not do without the famous tracks from our beloved CD (called “Is-CD ta’ l-iXtruppaw”). However, we’ve got plenty of new pieces to throw at our audience. There will be some from our forthcoming album, as well as a couple of surprises to impress, in one way or another”.

Since the songs are all in Maltese, is this concert for locals only?
What’s in a tongue? If it’s a good concert it doesn’t really matter which language the songs are in. Whether you’re Maltese, British, Australian, or Mongolian you can still enjoy the music and the atmosphere. There’s no better way to break the linguistic barrier than to start learning some new swear words in another language, and if you’re going to step into the irreverent, then Xtruppaw is what you’re looking for.

What has been the response to your album, concerts and general unconventional attitude?
Our album has sold well, but most importantly it has been vastly pirated, which is a very good indicator that people actually like it. Our concerts always have a great attendance – all of the venues we’ve played were packed to the brim. We take this as a sign that Maltese is now being accepted as a language that can be integrated with modern styles of music, without restricting its appeal to a specific age group or sub-culture.

What are Xtruppaw’s plans for the future?
Xtruppaw is as predictable as a rubber rugby ball bouncing on a waterbed… even to the members of the band themselves! All we know is that the future holds many surprises. We plan to release our second album sometime soon, and we will be performing again soon enough. As for fixed dates, well, we’re sorry but our cat has eaten the calendar.

Gigs
Don’t miss Xtruppaw Lajv at the Buskett Roadhouse, on 12 September. Tickets are priced euro 8 in advance from maltaticket.com and from Exotique, Vodafone, Agenda Bookshop, Bookends and Newskiosk outlets. Euro 10 on the door. Doors will be open at 21:00 and the first band will start at 22:30 sharp. See you there!

More information about the band can be found at http://www.xtruppaw.com.

And here’s Xtruppaw ‘promoting’ the gig.

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Brikkuni, washing Malta's dirty laundry as usual

The summer music calendar in Malta tends to see a lot of tribute bands – including hark-backs a good 20-30 years with the likes of Kiss and Queen cover bands.

But, if you want the real local music scene, you won’t do much better than Brikkuni. They give value of money and have something to offer both local music aficionados and foreigners in search of an alternative in Malta this summer.

Brikkuni is an original Maltese band that’s sometimes overlooked by the mainstream media here, but which nevertheless deserves attention. On Friday 31 July, the band is playing their one and only summer gig at the Buskett Roadhouse. To mark the event, I got touch with the front man and songwriter of the band, Mario Vella, to see what his gang is up to.

What’s the idea behind this concert?
“The idea is to have a blast playing, while giving local music enthusiasts a great night out. Buskett Roadhouse has great ambience and is quite a way off from traditional venues here, which makes it all the more attractive to us lot.”

Apart from tracks off “Kuntrabanda” (the band’s album released late in 2008), should we expect anything new?
“We’re in the process of learning to perform our new number, which is quite a task since it’s a pretty ambitious composition. It’s entitled ‘Il-Gallinar Tas-Sultan’ and it’s a track we are very proud of. We have also finally nailed ‘L-Uffiċċju’ live. It’s a song that is quite close to our heart; however, we weren’t quite satisfied with the way we performed it in January’s gig at MITP.”

Since the songs are all in Maltese, is this concert for locals only?
“Music doesn’t really require a translator. We’ve had quite a number of foreigners turning up in past events and language didn’t seem to deter their spirit. I am sure they’d enjoy it”.

What has been the response to your album and concerts so far?
“Overwhelmingly good considering our DIY approach to things and relative low profile. However, I can’t stress enough the importance of attendances at such events. People turning up at concerts and buying CDs provides the only form of income for bands who harbor notions of complete creative freedom and productivity like we do, provided they truly enjoy what we have to offer”.

Meanwhile, what are Brikkuni’s plans for the future?
“An album is in the pipeline for 2010. We hope to release it by November next year. We’ve enough songs to choose from. It’s the arrangements that often prove time consuming since we meet very little. In fact, it’s already a small miracle we managed to sail this ship this far.”

Brikkuni at the Buskett Roundhouse

Ticket: Euro 7 or Euro 11 (the latter includes a copy of their album “Kuntrabanda” on CD)
Time: 9pm.

More info, see: Brikkuni on MySpace

See also, our post on unique and contemporary Maltese music.

Photo: Oliver DeGabriele

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Les Petits Pilous guide you through the night on 18 July at Tattingers

Following the success of their first edition of the ‘A Night With’ series, Malta music event organisers Squadron are hosting a second edition at Tattingers, Rabat, on 18 July. Guests include new kids on the block, French duo Les Petits Pilous.

Les Petits Pilous was formed by cousins Jean-Pat & Pacey. Although only having kicked off their career recently, the duo is already considered to be one of the brightest talents and the biggest artists on Boys Noize Records following their dance-floor hits “Wake Up” and “Housi”. Les Petits Pilous are the true example of the nu-rave/electro style that’s dominating clubs right now. Playing at some of the best electronic music festivals in the world alongside names such as 2 Many DJs, Justice, Tiga, Boys Noize, and D.I.M.,they are now way up in the charts of techno and electro.

The event will also feature local acts including a warm up by Mathematikal (live show), Junior B, Bjan Jensen, Alex Thomson, and Dale.

More info:
Squadron at: www.squadronmalta.com
Les Petits Pilous on myspace

Tickets can be bought from Squadron’s usual runners and outlets: Dr. Juice, Exit, Fact, Fused, The Hatch and Royal Impact or contact info@squadronmalta.com

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All in a day, or night's work. The latest pastizzi batch fresh from the oven.

Indeed, the Crystal Palace hardly ever closes – you’ll always be able to scoff pastizzi (small, flaky pastry puffs filled with mushy peas or ricotta cheese) aplenty as the palace shuts for a mere two hours on weekday nights; Fridays and weekends, it’s open all night long.

Initially, the bar opened all night to accommodate British soldiers looking for a drink and something to eat round the clock. Once the forces left the islands, the bar still opened all night. Old habits die hard. This time, its nocturnal shift served local farmers bringing their produce to the pitkali market in Rabat in early hours of the morning for weighing and re-sale to local outlets. Once the market moved to Ta’ Qali, there was another reason for Cystal Palace to open all night – this time, party-loving students from nearby discos and all-night taxi drivers became its night-time clientele.

Working at the bar, Martin sees the typical Maltese day go by over the course of 24 hours. As night becomes day, he sees the transition from night party-goers and night-shift workers to the very early risers going to their jobs and the first church-goers of the day.

The freshly baked pastizzi, which Martin himself prepares at his nearby bakery, attract a number of memorable local regulars, an array of Maltese from other towns and passing tourists who are wooed by the tasty smell.

Martin prides himself that his bar is one of the few, truly-specialised pastizzeriji left. He’s not remotely tempted to sell other or more expensive items on his menu, such as pizza, baked rice and timpana (a Bolognaise sauce pasta baked with a pastry topping). Over here, what you get is, quite simply and quite deliciously, traditional pastizzi and bread rolls.

One regular customer, a young man from the other side of Malta, says he comes all the way here for the cheap and tasty food, the tea – in a glass just like his grandmother used to serve it – and good conversation with the lively and friendly characters who congregate in this historical bar and pastizzerija, all hours of the day and night.

Crystal Palace Bar, Triq San-Pawl, Rabat.

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Tony Ellul, as Pontius Pilate, takes time out from the grueling rehearsals

An initiative of the Rabat Local Council, ‘Il-Mixja’ (‘The Walk’) has introduced street theatre to the Holy Week activities all over Malta and Gozo. Alan points out that this is not your usual pageant where actors simply mime their part as the street performance passes by accompanied by a playback recording. This is live theatre played out in the streets by some of Malta’s best actor and actresses.

Playing Jesus is a challenge – both physically and mentally; all the more so in ultra-Catholic Malta. It’s hard for an actor to bring something new to the role while at the same time living up to the public’s high expectations. There’s also the physical stamina required; the role of Jesus involves carrying a cross on your back for about an hour (this year’s weighed 12 kilo, but not as bad as the 22 kilo it weighed two years back!). Then, there’s getting ‘whipped’ (not for real, but it still hurts) and having a crown of real thorns shoved onto your head. Alan points to the big scar from last Monday’s performance.

To help him get through the evening, Alan downed three energy drinks before the performance. But, there’s also some long-term planning to do if you’re to get the details right and look authentic in the role. Alan had to look physically right for the part – he has long hair, but needed to grow a beard… and go on a diet for three months to lose 10 kilos. ‘That meant no sweets since January – even at parties. And most of my friends celebrate their birthdays at this time of the year!’ explained a suffering Alan.

Directing is also a challenge. This year, ‘Il-Mixja’ had a cast of over 50 people, including 15 main characters. But Alan’s biggest nightmare proved to be the costumes. Despite having hired the costumes six months before, they were told they’d only be available the night before the actual performance! Luckily, Alan had someone with whom to share the pain of putting on the performance: producer Michael Bondin. Rabat Local Council provided funding and support, and a huge number of volunteers filled in the supporting roles and helped with the technical work, carpentry, scaffolding, costumes, sewing and other essential tasks.

But, all said and done, why do the Maltese dedicate so much time and passion to the activities of Holy Week? Alan feels that occasions like this are where the Catholic upbringing of many Maltese people can be felt still. While Christmas has become too commercial, Easter still has spirituality attached to it. A performance such as ‘Il-Mixja’ is moving not only for the public watching, but also for those taking part. There is something spiritual about doing this ‘walk’ together at night on the streets of the old town of Rabat, guided by torchlight, and in remembrance of the suffering of Jesus. The established actors who take part look forward to the play as a yearly event.

In the end, beyond being simple tradition, these are occasions for people to come together in a spirit of friendship and selflessness to recreate something which is so important to so many Maltese people.

Photos: Andrew Galea Debono

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