Mużika Mużika reveals latest update including show details and special guests

Mar 9 2023

Muzika Muzika is returning for the third consecutive year. This prestigious festival will take place between 23 and 25 March with 20 songs produced in the Maltese language.

Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici, announced during a press conference that final logistical preparations are currently underway to ensure another successful edition of the Muzika Muzika festival. These preparations include stage construction, rehearsal coordination, and other technical details.

Minister Bonnici stated that Muzika Muzika has become one of the best local music festivals, earning the respect of many local composers, authors, and even the audience since its first edition.

“I would like to commend the organizing team for their hard work from the bottom of my heart,” said Minister Bonnici. “We want to continue investing in this festival, which serves as a platform for artists to showcase their talents in the Maltese language, which is so dear to us. We have worked hard in previous years, and we will continue to do so to ensure that this festival remains an annual event and a highlight of the year.”

The Festivals Malta Chairman, Aaron Zahra, said that he is honoured that for the third consecutive year, Festivals Malta is providing a platform of this calibre to local singers, authors, and composers.

“Festivals Malta is the main organiser of festivals in Malta, and naturally, our team has several festivals and events to organise throughout the year. We have just wrapped up the Valletta Baroque Festival and il-Karnival ta’ Malta, both of which were two very successful editions as part of this year’s portfolio,” said Zahra.

He continued by saying that even though Mużika Mużika has already surpassed the public’s expectations, we are determined to keep investing in the festival to further nourish and improve the local artistic offer.

“I am very satisfied with this year’s production. We have a spectacular show planned for those who will join us at MFCC to celebrate local artists, Maltese talent, and most of all, our native language which is the heart and soul of this festival. I wish every success to the singers, composers, authors, and special guests who will give us a show to remember. All in all, I congratulate all those who will be part of Mużika Mużika 2023’s successful edition,” said Zahra.

The Festivals Malta CEO, Annabelle Stivala, spoke about the festival’s success, particularly the positive response it keeps achieving year after year.

“While I had great expectations for Mużika Mużika when Festivals Malta was entrusted with it back in 2021, I never imagined that we would come this far. Since then, the festival has grown and developed considerably, being well-received by audiences and artists alike,” Stivala explained.

“This is clear by the numerous audiences the festival attracts each year, and for this, I wish to thank the dedicated team at Festivals Malta for their hard work, and all those who offer their support in one way or another, as it is their efforts that make this festival a success,” stated Stivala.

The Mużika Mużika Chairman, Raymond Bugeja, continued to highlight the festival’s positive impact on local artists and audiences. “The positive response generated is clearly seen from the considerable number of messages on our social media pages, as well as through ticket sales. This year we also saw an increase in the number of submissions, with a total of 149 applications from established and emerging artists. I can wholeheartedly say that this is a true testament to the high calibre Mużika Mużika has managed to achieve,” he said.

The Mużika Mużika Artistic Director Paul Abela said: “Once again, Mużika Mużika will produce three shows of impeccable quality, as is done each year. I cannot be happier with the songs we have for this edition, and I can proudly say that the standard keeps increasing year after year. This year will also see several familiar faces from the local music scene during the first and final shows, including Ira Losco who has achieved success both locally and internationally, last year’s winner, Kurt Calleja, as well as Kantera, who have now become synonymous with this festival”.

It was also announced that this year’s edition of Mużika Mużika will be presented by none other than Keith Demicoli, Clare Agius, and Moira Delia. This year, the festival will host three renowned guest artists: Kantera in the semifinal, and Kurt and Ira Losco in the final. Furthermore, the festival will also feature various established artists who will perform a duet with the semifinalists during the Classics Night.

Mużika Mużika will take place between the 23 and 25 of March at MFCC Ta’ Qali. It will also be broadcast on Television Malta. For tickets and more information visit muzikamuzika.mt

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90% of San Gwann residents will have an open space less than a 10 minute-walk from home

Mar 9 2023

Public Consultation regarding Vjal ir-Rihan project in San Ġwann

“About 90% of San Ġwann residents will have access to an open space less than a 10 minute-walk from their homes.”

Steve Ellul, the CEO of Project Green, said this during a public consultation meeting with residents of this locality, about the Agency’s proposed Vjal ir-Rihan open space project. This was the second consultation initiative about the project this month, following an earlier meeting with commercial entities operating in the same area.

Project Green will continue discussing this project with different interested entities in the community, before finalising designs and presenting them to the authorities for the necessary permitting processes.

During this consultation meeting, Mr Ellul explained that this area of Vjal ir-Rihan currently includes an open space of 2,183 square metres. Through the proposed new green open space, Project Green will increase it threefold to 7,200 square metres. This project will also ensure that the two sides of San Gwann, which are currently separated by Vjal ir-Rihan, one of Malta’s busiest thoroughfares, are reconnected with safer, car-free pedestrian connections. This means that residents will no longer have to travel by car to enjoy a green open space close to their homes, less than a 10-minute walk away.

This open space is also being adapted to the social and cultural requirements of the residents living in San Gwann and the surrounding areas, with several new features such as a sensory garden, an aquatic garden, an amphitheatre, and a sustainable playground.

San Gwann Mayor, Trevor Fenech, stated that the local council has already unanimously approved the need for this project in the past, and is looking forward to working with Project Green in its implementation. This investment will be giving back to residents an open space in the heart of the community instead of a main road filled with cars and pollution. It will be creating a new green lung in the centre of San Gwann, improving quality of life for all residents in this locality.

During the consultation meeting, the residents presented different ideas, as the Project Green team answered their questions on the proposals and the eventual works required to create the new open space.

For more information about Project Green, follow the agency’s Facebook page – https://fb.me/projectgreenmt.

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Ford advertise ‘men’s only car’ missing all parts created by women

Mar 9 2023

This might have been the best International Women’s Day celebration and advertisement for 2023.

Ford Motor Company released an advert for a men’s only car on International Women’s Day – the catch being that the vehicle was missing all the innovations made by women for cars.

Narrated by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, the tongue-in-cheek advert was for a vehicle missing everything from a GPS system, heaters, brake lights, windshield wipers and turn signals.

At the end of the advertisement, Ford makes it clear how the ad was a gimmick but a celebration of women inventors and that the car was not actually for sale.

Women massively praised the advert, saying that they were worried at first by the stunt. However, after watching it in its entirety, they discovered that the automobile giant was sending a very clear message about women empowerment in all sectors and fields.

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McDonald’s are testing out a fully-automated restaurant with ZERO human workers

Mar 9 2023

As ever-evolving technology continues to take over the world as we know it, a new McDonald’s branch in Texas is driving the Golden Arches into the future with the brand’s first ever fully-automated restaurant.

That’s right – a test restaurant near Fort Worth Texas has been set up with touchscreens, conveyor belts and other methods of enhanced technology in an attempt to improve order speed and accuracy.

The decision was met with reactions from both sides of the coin; some praised the tech’s untapped potential while others lamented the fact that minimum wage in Texas hasn’t increased in almost a decade as many struggle to keep up with the cost of living.

Some machines took orders at the front, others served food at the drive-thru, with no humans in sight. The game-changing application of technology in the hospitality sector could change the way we consume fast food as we know it.

@themadivlog How did I end up a butter #fyp ♬ The Office – The Hyphenate

On the other hand, a TikTok creator went online with a number of difficulties she faced when trying to order, namely due to the communication barrier between man and machine, as the McDonald’s technology did not seem to understand what the client was saying. Business Insider stated that such difficulties show that robots won’t take over restaurants any time soon, with every other McDonald’s restaurant in the world relying on its human workers to offer service with a smile.

Would you like to see technology like this in Malta?

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