WIRT ARTNA: Celebrating the Heritage of Maltese Għana on Campus 103.7
- Noel Mifsud
- Oct 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 9
A new radio series titled WIRT L-GĦANA Malti has launched on Campus 103.7 FM, the official radio station of the University of Malta. The programme brings together broadcaster and musicologist Dr. Toni Sant with veteran folklorist Charles Coleiro, who share conversations about Coleiro’s six-decade-long experiences with għana, the traditional Maltese form of folk singing.
The series revisits landmark moments in Malta’s cultural history: from the Imnarja competitions in Buskett during the 1950s and 1960s, to the first televised għana programmes on TVM in the 1970s, and the creation of Għanafest in the 1990s. Along the way, Sant and Coleiro discuss some of the most historically significant figures in the genre, many of whom are commemorated with monuments, such as Mikiel Abela “l-Bambinu,” Indrì Brincat “il-Pupa,” Frans Baldacchino “l-Budaj,” Pawlu Seychell “l-Għannej,” Angela Mifsud “iċ-Ċalija,” and Fredu Abela “l-Bamboċċu.”
Each broadcast blends lively conversation between the two veteran presenters with archival recordings of għana, carefully chosen to match the themes under discussion.
The first episode aired on Saturday, October 4, and the programme continues every Saturday at 3pm, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday at noon, on 103.7 FM.
For Toni Sant, the series represents a personal turning point:
“After so many years working in Malta’s music scene and the entertainment world, I felt it was time to focus more than ever before on our roots. And these roots lie in għana, which predates the colonial influences we now hear in today’s popular Maltese music. To truly understand the Maltese heartbeat, you need to listen to a lot of għana. Doing this with a pioneer like Charles Coleiro is the best kind of laboratory we could hope for to rediscover our folk heritage.”
On social media, Charles Coleiro expressed his gratitude for the collaboration:
“Thank you for the invitation, Toni. I want to share with listeners what I learned from those who came before us, with the hope that għana will continue to be heard, remain alive among us, and endure for future generations.”
Through WIRT L-GĦANA Malti, Campus 103.7 offers listeners not just a nostalgic journey, but a vital reminder of the enduring cultural value of Malta’s folk music tradition.
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