My first cultural artifact is a sound recording of a traditional Maltese folksong by Frans Baldacchino, also known as il-Budaj. The song I chose to listen to, one of his most popular, is called Lament. It was written and interpreted by Baldacchino, but is inspired by a traditional Maltese tune called għana. Many folksongs adopt this tune that blends influences from Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Il-Budaj lived from 1943-2006 and was recognized on a local and international scale for his participation in folklore festivals. He was born in Żejtun (Malta), emigrated to Australia while in his 20s to form a folklore group with other Maltese emigrants, and then returned to Malta 10 years later.
Maltese folk music often contains rhythmic poetic singing and various instruments such as the guitar to carry the traditional tune. While the popularity of Maltese oral tradition has declined, the preservation of Maltese folk music helps to carry forward the culture. Lament is taken off of an album called Żifna (meaning dance) which brought together many famous Maltese folk artists to revive the traditional sound. The organization that brought together the various musicians on the album is called Etnika. Etnika is also responsible for many other larger efforts to preserve Maltese tradition.
In addition to exploring the sound of il-Budaj, I listened to a couple other publically available clips of traditional Maltese folklore music on Smithsonian Folk Ways Recordings. The sound of traditional music is extremely unique and it is hard to compare it to other folk music I have heard before, which I think is because of the various cultural influences.
Biography and Sound Link - Frans Baldacchino Lament
https://wirtizzejtun.com/2012/06/21/ghannejja-frans-baldacchino-il-budaj/
Traditional Folklore Music - Folk Songs and Music from Malta
https://folkways.si.edu/folk-songs-and-music-from-malta/world/album/smithsonian
Sound Clips - Żifna [Etnika album]
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