L-Ghanja tal-Poplu

L-Għanja tal-Poplu
Genre	Pop music, folk music, classical music, etc.
Location(s)	Malta
Years active	1973–present
Founded by	Youth Travel Circle
Website
http://www.ghanjafest.com/

L-Għanja tal-Poplu (People's Ode Song Contest) is a popular Maltese song festival first organized by Youth Travel Circle (YTC) on 5 May 1973 at the St. Albert College in Valletta. The founder of YTC is Rev.Maurice Mifsud. Initially the Festival was restricted for YTC members. From 1987 onward, the Festival took a national dimension. Non YTC members were allowed to compose, write and sing in this festival, as long as the lyrics were in the Maltese language. In the nineties the festival started being transmitted on local television stations. It still is. In 2010 the Malta Arts Fund of the Government of Malta began to offer some financial support to the festival. As from 2013 various local radio stations started transmitting special programmes dedicated to this festival. In 2015 the festival was transmitted on Malta's Public Broadcasting Services through its Radio and Television Channels.

On 26 February 2016 at a press conference held in Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta, Mr. Albert Marshall, Chairman of the Malta Arts Council, announced that " L-Ghanja Tal-Poplu-Festival Tal-Kanzunetta Maltija" is scheduled to be held in July 2016. The festival will now be organised by the committee of L-Għanja tal-Poplu (People's Ode Song Contest), Malta Arts Council, Spazju Kreattiv, and Public Broadcasting Services. It has also the backing of Valletta 2018 European Capital Of Culture and the management of Pjazza Tejatru Rjal where the festival was held on 07 and 9 July 2016.

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