Malta Song Festival
| Malta Song Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Pop music, folk music, classical music, etc. |
| Location(s) | Malta |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Founded by | Young Christian Workers |
Although Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with a small population, it is nonetheless rich in its history and its culture. When in the 1950s, in nearby Italy the San Remo Festival, and later in Switzerland, the Eurovision Song Contest came into existence, Malta soon followed suit by organizing its own National Song Festival.
The first Malta Song Festival was organized by the Maltese section of the Young Christian Workers movement in 1960. Out of 72 submissions, 20 were chosen for the two semi finals. Eventually 10 made it for the final of Saturday 5 November 1960. All shows were held at the Radio City Opera House in Hamrun and were transmitted on the island’s cable radio system, now extinct, and then better known as Rediffusion. Eight of the ten songs were sung in Italian, one in English and one in Maltese. Each song had to be presented with two different musical arrangements. It was also a requisite to have two different singers for each song.
On 14 November 1960 RAI TV transmitted a video coverage of the festival in its evenings news bulletin.
As far back as 1960 the organizers of the festival were already planning to send the winner to the "Eurovision Song Contest". But the time was not yet ripe for such a dream to materialise.
In December 1961 the same Young Christian Workers movement organized also the first "Festival Ta' Kanzunetti Maltin" (Festival Of Maltese Songs)". The songs in this festival were all sung in the Maltese language. Although it was organized again in 1962, but after the 1962 edition, a decision was taken that the "Festival Ta' Kanzunetti Maltin" (Festival Of Maltese Songs)" would no longer be held.
In 1963 a decision was taken by the Malta Song Festival Board, that it was no longer feasible to organize two separate festivals. Instead it was decided that every song should be presented on stage in two languages, one of which should in Maltese.
In 1964, the Malta Song Festival was transmitted for the first time on the Malta Television Service on November 16, 17 and 21. The final results were however announced in a presentation ceremony held and transmitted also on Malta Television on Wednesday 25 November 1964
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