“RagħwaDagħwa materialised in 2020 out of a need to blabber,” began the singer behind the project, known under the moniker Fah Rouge.

“It is a collection of experimentations in sound, composition, song and spoken word, and it does not seek to adhere to any specific genre. In principle, it is self-produced, and its DIY approach gives it a raw quality which I hope is an authentic expression of the ideas it portrays.” 

L-ispettaklu tal-fwar (the spectacle of vapour), a new song purposefully released on March 25 by RagħwaDagħwa – breaking the supposed silence a day before many of us took to the polls – is a lament on the state of the nation.

With lyrics, musical arrangement and production by Fah Rouge, direction by Luke Scerri of Fake Ophelia fame and cinematography by Rachel Micallef Somerville, L-ispettaklu tal-fwar is a scathing remark on what “il-Maltin u l-Għawdxin” have let themselves become.

The music video for the song was directed by Luke Scerri with cinematography by Rachel Micallef Somerville.

“The first, unfinished draft of the song was written a few weeks after moving abroad last year, with no initial intention to link it to the forthcoming general election,” explained the singer.

“Adjusting to a new city, thoughts concerning identity and how it is tied to our roots might occupy one’s mind, and it is probable this lament is the fruit of such reflections – to a certain extent making it more personal than political.

“Months later, in light of the political climate in Malta, the subject of art’s (possibly pragmatic) role within society was brought forth and it was agreed that we could create something of relevance together, which aims to serve as a fractional commentary on what is taking place, or, at least, our view and interpretation of it.”

He went on to note that they felt this lament would serve this purpose well as it also ties in with the idea of self and collective observation, hope and cynicism, as well as echo chambers which lead to either compliance, revolt, numbness or self-exile.

From “tfal ħelwin tal-Bambin” (the Lord’s sweet children) to “fniek lesti għall-qatla” (lambs to the slaughter), the lyrics speak of a people consumed by hypocrisy and contradiction… “poplu tajjeb u ħażin fl-istess ħin” (a people simultaneously good and bad). Asked whether he thinks this tendency is our greatest failing, Fah Rouge said he tends to distance himself from “statements in the superlative”, despite not restraining himself when writing in metaphor.

Fah Rouge is the singer behind RagħwaDagħwa.

“I feel that I have no moral authority to speak in such absolute terms.  However, if I did, I would venture to say that [contradiction] is perhaps our greatest achievement, and it is nothing less than a recipe for disaster. 

“I tend to view our independence from colonialism in its adolescence. Still very much tied to our occupied past, we are perhaps still in awe of the idea of having a relatively new-found freedom, translating itself to an enhanced sense of identity.”

The singer said that while the song taps into the vague and confusing ideas of ‘belonging’, which he speculates we have probably questioned for centuries, political individuals and their friendships can distract, polarise and excite at will, pushing the masses into corners of their choosing while they do their “looting” in the shadows and also in plain sight.

We’re no different than an infant with a loaded gun

“I use the word ‘looting’ not in the material sense only,” he emphasised, “but also in the spheres of space, aesthetics, sobriety, clarity and human dignity. Whether this is our greatest failing, I know not, but we’re definitely failing. We’re no different than an infant with a loaded gun.”

Speaking to Luke Scerri on his directorial input for the music video, he began by saying that the premise of the idea was the word ‘spectacle’.

“Putting aside the larger understanding of the word in its metaphorical sense, it made me think of village feast events like the Lejla Maltija, more specifically in the chaotic variety of these events – something which for me was always one of the most charming elements within them. Along with this idea, the song’s changing movements allowed us to make use of some sort of ‘pastiche’ with the imagery that we chose to play with,” said Scerri.  

The music video for ‘L-istepttaklu tal-fwar’ was directed by Luke Scerri of Fake Ophelia fame.

“In essence, to me, this eclectic stylistic choice of, let’s call it, ‘pastiche’ is reflective of a major characteristic in our identity as we perceive it today, and which is not only very evident today due to our history, but it remains reaffirming itself in our language. And just to clarify my thoughts about this, I embrace it fully,” he maintained.

The music video’s cinematographer Rachel Micallef Somerville said she felt the juxtaposition between the sometimes ominous shadow play and the carefully chosen clips (all related to Malta in some way or another) was how they were able to merge multiple ideas together and to string fragments of the piece together in order to create a whole.

“The Innu Malti part stands out to me personally because despite its simplicity, it still manages to hypnotise and overwhelm the viewer, which is what we wanted,” she said.

Near the end of the piece comes the crux of the lament – a wish for the Malta we love to heal from the malaises it currently suffers – the cause of its “kriżi t’identità” (crisis of identity). It also ends with a semi-cynical remark, knowing that there is little we can do to save our butchered home.

Rachel Micallef Somerville create the cinematography for the music video of ‘L-istepttaklu tal-fwar’.

Asked what we can do in the face of such maladies, the singer emphasised firstly that this lament was written from the perspective of someone who currently chooses not to live in his country of origin.

“This serves as my sole confession that I do not know,” he said. “However, I do think that if we are to evolve as a nation (but perhaps more importantly as individuals), we ought to reflect and face our underlying conflicts, maliciousness and ongoing habits, dissolve them to their naked cores and see them for what they are.

“I do not know the underlying technicalities behind such a would-be process, and while I do believe we have the capability, it seems more likely that we have no collective will to undertake such task. Unfortunately, we will only be made to do so, whether we’d like to or not, as things become all the more unbearable. I’m no prophet, but I think they will.”