The Story Behind The Song: Get To Know This Year’s Mużika Mużika Artists
Bringing together local artists, the familiar and the new, Mużika Mużika is definitely a spectacle not to be missed! A place where the talent and beauty of the local music genre can be recognised at its best.
Organised by Festivals Malta, Mużika Mużika returns for its third edition between the 23rd and 25th of March. 20 participants will be competing against one another with an original Maltese song bringing together a multitude of musical genres.
This year we will be seeing many new faces mixed with some familiar ones, which is something we really love about this festival.
Today we will be introducing CODA, Mark Micallef Costa, Michaela Galea, and Justine Shorfid.
Friendship and the power of music
CODA will be competing with their song Flimkien, composed by Paul Giordimania and written by Fleur Balzan.
The newly formed group presents a bunch of familiar faces, much loved in the local music scene, brought together by a long-standing friendship and their love of Maltese music. The members of the group are Paul Giordimaina, Andrew Zammit, Mark Tonna, Edward Ellul, and Ian Vella (aka Janvil), who certainly need no introduction.
Flimkien talks about the power of music; how no matter what you are going through, a song can change the listener’s mood and how music can improve our outlook on life.
Coming from different musical genres the artists of CODA promise an exciting synergy on stage and we cannot wait to see how their different styles will play out during the show!
A familiar face with a little twist
Mark Micallef Costa is not an entirely new face, he is the frontman of the local band SterjoTipi. However, Costa entered the Mużika Mużika competition as a solo artist. When asked about whether he is considering going solo, the artist said that this solo stunt was a band decision and that they have no intention of breaking up.
Fuq Pultruna is a song written and composed by Mark himself, which he wrote back in 2021 as an elegy dedicated to his late grandmother, who lived a simple but full life.
The song evokes a sense of nostalgia and encourages us to appreciate our loved ones and make the most of our time together in this life.
One thing you probably didn’t know about Mark Micallef Costa is his passion for Snooker. Aside from being a performing artist Mark regularly competes at the Malta Snooker Academy. 2023 is set to present various new challenges for the Costa family as they are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their firstborn. We wish them a lot of blessings on this great new adventure!
Our very own local Girl Boss
Michela Galea is a returning contestant of Mużika Mużika. She is a real-life wonder woman – the girl is a teacher, she sings, she dances, she models, she acts and to top it up she is also currently reading a Master’s in Theatre Studies. We are so envious of her impeccable time management skills.
Ġawhra, a love song composed by Gilbert ‘Il-Bibi’ Camilleri and written by Emil Calleja Bayliss, is a song that reflects on the beauty of unconditional love, whether romantic or platonic and how it makes the person towards whom this love is expressed truly special; a real gem.
Michela has a deep-rooted love for our native language and singing in Maltese is of utmost importance to her.
“I never pass up an opportunity to sing in Maltese. Our language is too beautiful to be used only for speech” she said.
A touching story with a strong voice
Justine Shorfid is an up-and-coming young artist who took part in various local and international competitions but is most known for her success in the 2020 X Factor Malta. Justine is a very adventurous person and has a passion for travel and musicals.
Composed by Emil Calleja Bayliss and written by Mark Spiteri Lucas, Ħaddanni reflects on the importance of seeking refuge in a community that can understand you, especially when falling victim to society. The message behind Ħaddanni portrays the experiences of a person who went through trials of abuse but eventually overcame all the obstacles.
In her life, Justine has been touched by stories from victims of abuse and she felt like she needed to make a difference through her music.
Therefore she asked Emil to write her a song that passes on a strong message of hope to all of those who are suffering in silence.
These are only four of the 20 incredible contestants of the 3rd edition of this much-awaited festival. Stay tuned for more in the coming days.
Get your tickets now as they are going super-fast! For more information visit their website.
Is your favourite artist participating in Mużika Mużika this year?