MUSIC

Malta Jazz Festival 2024

The Malta Jazz Festival returns from July 8 to 13, headlined by Grammy-winning trumpeter Chief Adjuah, Walter Smith III Quartet, Something Else! and Trio Grande.

The Gianluca Figliola Trio will open the festival on July 8 at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Floriana. Concerts, jam sessions and workshops will then be held at various venues, with the main event on July 13 and 14 happening at Ta’ Liesse (Quarry Wharf) in Valletta.

There will also be concerts at the City Theatre, including by Brazilian vocalist Monica Salmaso, Tom Ollendorff Trio and Philippe Soirat Quartet.

A series of free lunchtime concerts, featuring Greg’s Jazz Quartet, Ella Pullicino Quartet and Miles Trio, will be held at MUŻA between July 11 and 13 at noon.

There will also be a children’s concert introducing them to jazz, led by Paris-based singer Julie Erikssen, at Spazju Kreattiv, on July 13 at 11am.

For all the details and tickets, visit festivals.mt/mjf.

Mosta Music Festival

Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta is hosting two nights of live music, with proceeds from tickets going in aid of the voluntary organisation Smiling with Jerome.

July 12 will be dedicated to the 1990s with guest stars DJ Mollela, Nathalie Aarts from The Soundlovers and DJ Ziggy. Smokie and DJ Sue will rock the stage on July 13.

Tickets from ticketmonti.com.

MCO: A Night at the Musicals

The Malta Concert Orchestra is celebrating some of the greatest musicals at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta on July 12 at 8.30pm.

The programme will feature, among others, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misèrables, The Lion King, Miss Saigon and The Phantom of the Opera.

The orchestra, under the baton of Joe Brown, will be accompanied by Ludwig Galea, Dorothy Bezzina, Lawrence Gray, Tiziana Calleja and Neville Refalo.

Tickets from ticketline.com.mt.

Memphis Mac: Album launch

Rock band Memphis Mac will be launching their first album during a live concert at the Gala Hall in Palazzo San Paolo, Rabat, hosted by Cicco’s Club on July 12.

Doors open at 7.30pm. SOUL will be opening the night at 8pm.

Tickets will be sold at the entrance.

THEATRE

The Great Dictator

Nikolai Azzopardi Productions is staging an adaptation of Charlie Chaplin’s iconic film The Great Dictator at the Valletta Campus Theatre until July 14.

Adapted and directed by Malcolm Galea, the plot follows a young barber who loses his memory after fighting in a terrible war. When he is allowed to go back to his regular work, he learns that the country for which he risked his life has since changed and that it now persecutes his people. This is largely thanks to a warmongering dictator with a chip on his shoulder.

With the help of old allies and new friends, the barber resists his oppressors until a stroke of luck enables him to share his values with the world.

Jamie Cardona plays both the Jewish barber and Adenoid Hynkel, the vicious dictator. Other cast members are Hannah Spiteri, Peter Galea, Jeremy Grech, Joe Depasquale and Nicola Abela Garrett.

The performance features music by Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur. 

Tickets from ticketline.com.mt.

ARTS

Victoria International Arts Festival

The festival enters its last few days with the Auric Saxophone Quartet, formed of past students from the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, at the Bishop’s Curia courtyard tomorrow, July 8.

The Bliss Quintet will perform at the Don Bosco Oratory on July 9. This will be followed by a violin and piano recital, starring Andrea Gajic and Aaron Shorr, at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia on July 10 and a performance by piano accordion duo Djordje Gajic and Ryan Corbett at St Augustine church on July 11.

Soprano Miriam Cauchi and pianist Maria Frendo will present an evening dedicated to Puccini at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia on July 12. This will include a short talk, entitled ‘Puccini’s Miniature and Modernist Poetics’, followed by a recital of much-loved arias and lesser-known songs.

The Karlsruhe Konzert Duo, founded by cellist Reinhard Armleder and pianist Dagmar Hartmann, will close this week’s events on July 13 at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia.

The festival is on until July 15. Concerts are free of charge and start at 8pm. Visit viaf.org.mt for more information.

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FILM

Irish Film Days: The 8th

Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta is screening the 2020 documentary The 8th as part of the Irish Film Days cycle of films on July 9 at 7.30pm.

The film traces Ireland’s campaign to remove the 8th Amendment – a constitutional ban on abortion. It shows a country’s transformation from a conservative state in thrall to the Catholic Church to a more liberal secular society.

The film includes voices from both sides of the debate, but its primary focus is on the dynamic leaders of the pro-choice campaign – veteran campaigner Ailbhe Smyth and self-described glitter-activist Andrea Horan.

Entrance is free but booking is required via kreattivita.org.

Sleep

The Cannes-nominated comedy-horror film Sleep, by director Jason Yu, is showing at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on July 12.

The plot follows a young, expectant wife who must figure out how to stop her husband’s nightmarish sleepwalking habits before he harms himself or his family.

The film will be screened on other dates throughout July. For more information and tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Spinola Gin Fest

Massive Promotions are organising the second edition of the Spinola Gin Fest, from July 11 to 13 from 7pm onwards.

There will be over 25 unique gin brands and more than 100 gin and tonic combinations to try. There will also be food stalls and live entertainment. The event will have a token system for food and drinks. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Gozo Food Festival

The cuisine of 10 countries will be showcased at the Gozo Food Festival in Xewkija Square on July 12 and 13.

There will also be live entertainment and a children’s area.

The festival is organised with the support of the Ministry for Gozo, ECO Gozo and the Xewkija local council.

The Malta International Food Festival will be held the following month, between August 7 and 11, at the Granaries in Floriana.

For more information, visit maltainternationalfoodfestival.com.

Żabbar Beer Fest

Żabbar is holding another edition of its beer festival at Mediatrix Square on July 13 from 7pm onwards.

Besides a variety of beer, there will be two stages with live entertainment by local acts such as Kurt Calleja and Tattika, and various deejays, including Alex Grech and Zrinz.

Entrance is free. More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.

La France en Ville

The French Embassy in Malta, the Banda San Filep and Żebbuġ Local Council are holding the second edition of the Franco-Maltese village feast La France en Ville/Franza fostna at Hospital Square, on July 13 from 6.30pm to midnight.

There will be French and Maltese products and cuisine, including southern French cold meats, artisanal pastries and French wines; traditional games and animations for children by the Alliance Française and Patricia Micallef; a concert by the Banda San Filep and a DJ set by French DJ ÆCE.

Entrance is free.

Malta Police General Headquarters Open Day

The Malta Police Force is holding an open day at its general headquarters in Floriana on July 14 from 9am to 4pm.

The police force is this year celebrating its 210th anniversary and it's been 70 years since the Malta Police has been operating from its GHQ in Floriana.

The programme includes displays by the Silent Drill Team, K9 and SIU, displays by the Forensic Science Laboratory, a display of old and new police vehicles, access to the underground shelter, access to the police museum and a programme by the Mounted section and the police band.

For more information, visit the Malta Police Force Facebook page.

VISUAL ARTS

Caged Spaces − A Photographer’s Gaze of Malta at the Turn of the Millennium

An exhibition of black and white photographs by Patrick J. Fenech examining the relevance of documentary photography in today’s hyper-paced world is on at MUŻA in Valletta.

The photographs in Caged Spaces − A Photographer’s Gaze of Malta at the Turn of the Millennium were selected from an archive of mainly 35mm negatives, taken from the late 1970s into the 1980s and the early 1990s. Fenech covered most of the island’s north to south areas, as well as Gozo.

Caged Spaces, curated by Caroline Tonna, runs until July 14. It is accompanied by a 144-page publication. For more information, click here.

Summer Lovin’

A group exhibition curated to evoke warmth, joy and nostalgia synonymous with the summer season is on at Christine X Art Gallery in Sliema.

Summer Lovin’ brings together a selection of photography, paintings and digital art from upcoming and established artists. From sun-drenched landscapes to intimate portraits, each piece offers a unique perspective on the essence of the season.

The participating artists are: Rupert Cefai, Elena Degenhardt, Jessica Demers, Stefania Farrugia, Susannah Farrugia, Flixkun, Charlene Galea, James Charles Hester, Stephen Micallef, Mariam Mifsud De Giorgio, Lina Rincon, Jacob Sammut, Thomas Scerri, Sarah Scicluna, Naomi Smith, Mantas Stockus, and Olaug Vethal.

Summer Lovin’ is on display at Christine X Art Gallery, located at Tigné Street c/w Hughes Hallet Street in Sliema, until July 15 (and online until end of August).

Admission is free and opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am-1pm and 4-7pm, and Saturday from 10am-1pm. For more information, visit christinexart.com or contact the gallery via e-mail at info@christinexart.com.

Ngħaddu ż-Żmien

Patarra, a Portuguese artist living in Malta, and Ed Dingli, a Maltese artist living in Portugal, are interpreting the culture and countries where they are currently based in an exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta.

As both countries face a wave of homogenisation in the wake of globalisation, the artists explore the everyday nuances of quotidian culture which give a country and a people their identity, and try to find their place within it all.

The exhibition, curated by Andrew Borg Wirth, runs until July 18. Opening hours: Mondays and Fridays: 9am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 9am to noon and 4pm to 7pm; Saturdays: 9am to 1pm.

Beyond the Brush

Madeleine Vella Satariano is presenting her first solo exhibition in Gozo.

Her works relay the feeling of freedom through movement, featuring, among others, rough open seas as well as wild, galloping horses in open spaces, enthralling the viewer with a sense of liberty and joie de vivre. 

She uses various mediums such as acrylic, water colour, ink and pencil, and uses Gozo as the backdrop for her works.

Beyond the Brush runs at the Banca Giuratale, in Victoria, until July 21. The opening hours are: Monday to Friday – 9.30am till 2.30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am till noon. 

Trialogue

A collective exhibition by Vanni Pulé, Gerald John Micallef and Godwin Muscat Azzopardi, is opening at Gemelli Art Framing in Ta’ Qali on July 12.

Micallef’s work is an expression of all that goes on in his life. Some works evoke an amplified scream of a particular experience or encounter; others are the true expression of cherished moments, however painful, that help the artist to gain higher levels of maturity. 

Pulé has created a collection of original works in various unlikely tints, reflecting phases in his creative thinking. In this exhibition, he constructs and deconstructs local views with a spectrum of translucent stripes in imaginative hues. 

While some of his works are based on Maltese landscapes, Muscat Azzopardi is more inspired by the atmosphere of the place or subject than by its physical or local colour. He believes in the power of art to foster a positive narrative, countering the prevailing negative outlook and attitude with moments of beauty and comfort.

Trialogue runs until July 27. Visit the gallery's Facebook page for opening hours and more information.

Through the Eyes of a Collector

The exhibition Through the Eyes of a Collector offers a rare glimpse into the private collection of an avid art enthusiast, showcasing a diverse array of artworks that span various periods, styles, and media.

This unique display is a testament to the collector’s keen eye for beauty, historical significance, and artistic innovation.

It is curated by Charlene Vella and is open at the Palm Court Lounge, The Phoenicia Malta, throughout July.

whatson@timesofmalta.com