𝐁𝐔𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓:
https://booking.teatrumanoel.mt/event/7278/2nd_malta_festival_of_ideas_%C7%80closing_concert_-_etnika?theatreAreaID=1004&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExU1A1VzJzWk5KU0toa0xCMgEe0RWO_kn_1N7-3HvhAq-qBGqacxM7tfK2xX2XjtMh9kbLoA1xDzQVB6Yv2B4_aem_-f-9UmHd6q02XvW5itKxnw
𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 11th October, 2025
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 8:00 PM
𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: City Theatre, Valletta
A landmark evening with ETNIKA — Malta’s pioneering contemporary folk ensemble, bridging ancestral sound with a bold modern pulse.
Etnika is one of Malta’s pioneering ensembles in contemporary folk music, founded in 2000 with the mission to revive and reimagine the nation’s traditional musical heritage. What began as a research project grew into a cultural movement, as the group rediscovered and reconstructed nearly forgotten Maltese instruments and melodies, giving them a new voice in the present.
Central to their work is the revival of instruments such as the żaqq (Maltese bagpipe), flejguta (cane whistle), żummara (reed pipe), tanbur (frame drum), and żafżafa (friction drum). Through close collaboration with the last tradition-bearers, these instruments were brought back to life and placed at the centre of a renewed musical language.
Etnika’s debut album Nafra introduced these sounds to the public, followed by Żifna, which expanded the ensemble’s palette with jazz inflections and Mediterranean colours. Their vision has always gone beyond music alone: their multimedia productions, such as the celebrated Etnikafé series, combined music, dance, projections, and performance art in evocative settings, earning them widespread acclaim.
The group has toured extensively, from the Montreux Jazz Festival to stages across Europe and North Africa, winning international praise for their inventive approach to tradition. In 2016 they returned with a refined six-member line-up and a new project, Maddalena’s Marvellous Tripfolk Klabb. Here, they introduced their own “tripfolk” style – a fusion of Maltese folk memory with futuristic synths, guitars, unconventional percussion, and haunting vocals – a sound both nostalgic and forward-looking.
Etnika continues to be a vital force in Maltese culture, bridging the ancient and the modern. Their work shows how heritage can transform, carrying traditional sounds into new forms of expression that speak powerfully to today’s audiences.
You may also like the following events from Culture Directorate, Malta:
- Next Tuesday, 7th October, 08:00 pm, Performance - Ensemble Télémaque in Valletta
- Next Wednesday, 8th October, 05:00 pm, FORUM 3: Performance as an act of resistance; Dance, Music and Subcultures in Valletta
- Next Friday, 10th October, 08:00 pm, Dance Performance - Moveo Dance Company in Valletta
Also check out other
Music events in Valletta,
Entertainment events in Valletta,
Concerts in Valletta.
