Local artist Michael Azzopardi drops album of Maltese love songs ‘Vaganza’

Local artist Michael Azzopardi drops album of Maltese-language love ballads 'Vaganza'

Mar 11 2023

Since bursting onto the scene in 2019, local singer-songwriter Michael Azzopardi has developed quite a reputation for putting out quality music in his mother tongue, and his latest album ‘Vaganza’ is no exception.

The 13-track debut album is a project of Maltese love ballads, presenting Azzopardi’s take on the soundtrack to a Maltese date night. With crisp production, authentic songwriting and a host of features from local favourites, Azzopardi creates an unmistakable intimate soundscape unlike anything we’ve ever heard before.

The album, written and composed by Michael Azzopardi, includes performances by co-producers Jimmy Bartolo and Mark Axiak, with other features including Karmagenn’s Noah Fabri, Brikkuni’s John J. Bartolo & Sean Borg, Brodu’s iz-Zizza and electronic songstress JOON, amongst others.

Speaking about Vaganza, Azzopardi revealed that he began working on the project towards the tail end of the pandemic, peaking in 2022 when he experienced a longing for travel and romantic getaways. “The songs are snippets from my past, with healthy doses of longing and hopefulness for beautiful days to come,” he stated.

You can listen to Vaganza on streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube music.

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Brillanti auditions bring Ballet and HipHop to the big stage

Mar 10 2023

As Joseph Chetcuti rallies his trustworthy panel of judges – consisting of Brenda Lee Grech, Andrea Attila and Patrick Odametey – to continue their audition phase of Brillanti, the stage was filled with a wide range of dance styles.

Whether it was a classical ballet piece, an acro-dance duet routine or a Hip Hop freestyle, the judges had yet another difficult task on their hands in picking who gets to qualify for the quarter finals.

Apart from the ‘Most Promising Dancer’ qualifications – which saw two young B-Boys spin and top-rock on stage – the episode of course saw the next batch of quarter finalists being chosen.

The fourth episode saw freestyle dancer Luke Mizzi, acrobatic dancers Mishelle and Juliana, classical ballet dancer Benjamin Spiteri and the elegant Jade Trapani.

Tiffany Baker and Miguel Farrugia soon followed suit after the judges’ deliberation, bringing the total of qualifiers for this episode to six! The judges will return next week on ONE TV at 2030hrs Friday to continue their search for Malta’s most brilliant dancers.

What did you think of today’s episode?

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Intersport organising dog walk in aid of Hudson Foundation; all dogs get finishing medal

Mar 10 2023

Intersport is teaming up with Hudson Foundation to organise a fun activity dedicated to man’s (and woman’s) best friend – dogs! The event will take the form of a 2km dog walk at Maqluba Qrendi, inviting families and their four-legged friends for a Sunday walk along this picturesque route.

The event, taking place on 23rd April 2023, will coincide with Intersport’s Maqluba 10km run, part of Intersport’s 10km run series. Organised on an annual basis, the Intersport 10km Maqluba run invites runners to traverse through one of Malta’s most scenic nature tracks.

The participation fee for the dog walk is €15 per dog, regardless of how many humans accompany it. The funds collected will go towards the Hudson Foundation which supports dogs, children and mother earth. The money gathered during this event will support the Real Animal Rights Foundation and the running of their safe house, which welcomes abandoned and maltreated animals from the streets.

Dogs can be accompanied by a maximum of four humans, one needing to be an adult of 16 years or over. Terms and Conditions apply.

All participants will be offered a goodie bag including dog items from Borg Cardona as well as vouchers from River Island, a brand represented by Hudson in Malta which also supplies apparel for dogs. All participating dogs who surpass the finishing line will be awarded a special doggie medal. Apply now by visiting: https://10kseriesmalta.com/

The Hudson Foundation was set up with the intention to give back to society, helping to ‘Give a Voice to the Voiceless’, to support Abandoned Dogs, Children and Mother Earth. The foundation has already provided restoration works as well as an emergency room for Noah’s Ark in Mellieha,

sponsored medical expenses as well as provided cleaning material for the Association for Abandoned Animals Malta in Birzebbugia. It has also supported children and families in Malta, who have fled the war in Ukraine. The foundation constantly seeks initiative to support animals and disadvantaged children as well as to carry initiatives to help the environment. For more information about the foundation visit www.hudson.com.mt/the-hudson-foundation

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Half a Million Euro for the Maltese festas announced for the year 2023

Mar 10 2023

Minister for the Arts, the National Heritage and the Local Government Owen Bonnici has announced three funding schemes specifically aimed at the Maltese Festa, which in total amounts to an investment of Eur500,000 for the current year.

The three funding schemes; the Health and Safety Standards in Fireworks Factories Fund, the Artistic Financing for Feast Associations Scheme, and the Fund to Strengthen Cultural Work done by Band Clubs are managed by Arts Council Malta, with the latter being co-managed with the Għaqda Nazzjonali Każini tal-Baned.

“Such initiatives form an essential part in the strengthening of our local traditions, as we keep on improving accessibility within the sector,” stated Minister Bonnici during the launch. He lauded such programmes for showcasing the importance of our local cultural fabric.

“In this way we are building on our past, and investing towards the future of these traditions. We’re also making sure that we highlight and substantiate the important role band clubs, fireworks factories and feast associations have in our communities ,” Dr Bonnici said.

The Fund to Strengthen Cultural Work done by Band Clubs was launched for the first time in 2018 and is managed in collaboration with the Għaqda Nazzjonali Każini tal-Banda. It is now in its fifth edition, with a total of €160,000 available for 2023. This will provide a maximum amount of €6,750 to voluntary organisations applying under category A and €10,800 to voluntary organisations applying under category B. This fund aims to support various initiatives proposed by the band clubs, especially since they have a very vital role in our communities and also serve as one of the main points of entry for engagement with the arts.

“The vision of Arts Council Malta’s Strategy2025 is to have art at the heart of our country’s future whilst continuing to invest and foster diverse artistic and cultural expression to continue to strengthen our country’s creative and cultural ecology. Such initiatives, like the ones we’re mentioning today, hold a vital role in the execution of such goals, as we continue to strive towards professionalisation within the sector,” said Albert Marshall, Executive Chair for Arts Council Malta.

2018 also saw the launch for the first time of the Health and Safety Standards in Fireworks Factories Fund, which provides financial support to factories that operate on a voluntary basis with many hard-working pyrotechnicians of all ages putting in long hours on our much-cherished traditional feasts. The aim of the fund is to facilitate investment to further strengthen the infrastructure of these factories so that volunteers can work in an increasingly safer environment. The sixth edition of the Fund has an allocation of €170,000 and will provide a maximum amount of €5,000 to applying fireworks factories. This call is currently open, with a deadline on the 21st of March 2023, at noon.

The most recent scheme with regards to artistic heritage is the Artistic Financing for Feast Associations Scheme. Launched in 2020, this scheme recognises the importance of Maltese feast decoration associations, cultural associations and social associations which work voluntarily in fostering, protecting, and strengthening cultural traditions in our country. For this fourth edition, the Fund has a session budget of €140,000 and will provide a maximum amount of €10,000 to applying voluntary organisations.

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