2010 review | Mad about the tunes

The cultural scene was dominated by key musical events this year, as international stars made their way to the island in regular drops, starting with the summer season.

But the year opened to a less commercially glitzy event: the move of Malta Contemporary Art (MCA) from Marsa to the more prominent upper galleries at St James Cavalier, Valletta. The exhibition, entitled ‘MCA 9 – A New Generation’ inaugurated the new space with a showcase of emerging local artists on 14 January. The space has since hosted exhibitions and installations by both local and foreign artists.

Spring heralded the deluge of international pop stars – Ronan Keating and Prodigy both visited in April, playing at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali. But as ever (or, at least, since its first appearance in 2008), Isle of MTV drew the most crowds, with its annual appointment at the Floriana Granaries on 30 June with performances from Kelis, Kid Rock, Scissor Sisters and David Guetta attracting the standard drove of youths, despite the absence of stratospheric chart-toppers like Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas, who had headlined in previous years.

A far more low-key but pioneering event was Patches – The Special Market, taking place at the Barrakka Upper Gardens, Valletta on 13 June, giving local artisans the opportunity to show off and sell their handmade wares. The successful initiative has since become a bi-monthly event.

July provided the usual up-market cultural initiatives from the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA): namely the Malta Arts Festival and the Malta Jazz Festival. Fully back on track at the helm of globe-hopping musician Sandro Zerafa, the Jazz Festival enlivened the Ta’ Liesse, Grand Harbour venue with some great performances from The Bad Plus, Joshua Redman, Esperanza Spalding and much, much more. Highlights from the Arts Festival were Theatre Anon’s Ospizio – a site-specific performance about Floriana’s historical shelter for the poor and sick – and a performance of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream by actors from Globe Theatre, London.

Prominent musical events continued well into late summer, straining the Granaries for all they were worth. Performances by Joseph Calleja (accompanied by Riccardo Cocciante and Dionne Warwick), Rod Stewart and Elton John followed in rapid succession, filling a generation gap after the youth-friendly events at the peak of summer. Younger audiences, however, still got to enjoy a visit from Faithless, as the popular electronica duo performed at Gianpula on 7 August.

The MCCA was sure to keep another one of its regular appointments: Notte Bianca took over Valletta on 25 September. Notable additions to the expected roster of events were the street theatre burlesque performances by Dazzle Troupe (peppered around the city’s historically seedy backstreets), and a Notte Bianca-only version of Patches Market.