St. Francis Square in Victoria will once again host Gozitan singers as they take the audience on a nostalgic musical journey for Memorji 2024.
Highlighting the islands’ rich musical heritage, the second edition of Memorji spotlights almost forgotten musical pieces from the last five decades, peppered with more popular international songs from the same period.
This year, the concert features John Cassar (known locally as il-Cash), Pamela Bezzina, Rosabelle Pavia, and Emanuel Rapa, with a special, closing set by DJ Terra.
Il-Cash has for long been an integral part of Gozo’s live music scene, while singer songwriter and professional vocal coach Pamela, born and raised in Gozo, is well established in her field. Soprano Rosabelle Pavia’s voice was synonymous with the TV programme Ghawdex Illum for many years, and Emanuel Rapa is a talented singer, accordionist and brother of the late Alfred Rapa, himself a singer and songwriter.
The singers will be accompanied by the Memorji band: Mark Grech on the bass, Pawlu Portelli on the drums, John Cutajar on the piano and Jonathan Camilleri on the guitar.
The concert closes with a set by DJ Terra – for the Maltese and Gozitans who frequented Grotta in the 90s and early 2000s, he certainly needs no introduction.
The choice of performers, the location, as well as the repertoire intertwine together to reignite the spirit of Gozo’s musical past.
“Memorji will revive the musical essence of St. Francis Square, once the centre of Gozo’s music scene. We will also be breathing new life into almost-forgotten songs from the 70s and 80s, with new music arrangements for today’s audience,” the organisers said.
Memorji goes beyond the concert, which is on Saturday, the 13th of April, starting at 9pm. For the past months, Richard and his brother Mark Grech have been working on new musical arrangements for songs composed by their late father Domenic Grech and his band, The Tramps, and other Gozitan songs that may have otherwise risked being forgotten.
This includes Alfred Rapa’s Censu l-Malti Katarin, with which he won the 1996 Festival tal-Kanzunetta Maltija, Rosabelle Pavia’s G?ira tal-Holm, and The Tramps’ Qalb Wahda. The concert will also feature the latter’s newly arranged Sinjur Gib il-Paci, launched at the opening of Christmas in Gozo and also performed during this year’s edition of Muzika Muzika.
“We have curated a selection of songs that epitomise Gozo’s musical legacy and created a collection of music arrangements accessible to today’s musicians,” explains Richard. To ensure it’s appreciated by a wider audience, the Memorji repertoire blends these local, nostalgic songs, with internationally acclaimed hits: “This concert celebrates Gozo’s cultural tapestry, honouring both local and foreign influences that shaped our musical landscape,” he added.
Head to St. Francis Square for a nostalgic journey into the islands’ vibrant musical past!
Memorji is a free concert organised in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo and Planning.