ABSTRACT
Malta, an insular republic, occupies a strategic midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and North Africa. It has three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino, with a total area of 320 square kilometers, about the size of the city of Munich. Malta first appeared in history as Melita, a municipium of the Roman Empire, under the administration of Sicily. Traditional Maltese music is predominantly vocal, with a limited melodic repertoire and strong emphasis on textual content. Ghana 'song' serves the Maltese as a generic name for their traditional music; it is restricted to forms that are perceived as authentically Maltese. Ghana has unique musical features, but fits comfortably within the European music system. Genres outside ghana include lullabies, children's songs, festive songs, work songs and marine songs, laments and keens, and religious songs and hymns. Many people, women and men, can sing spirtu pront and other varieties of ghana, and do so informally for their own enjoyment.
