Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1219206
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MARCH 2020 9 CULTURE Open day at Fort Manoel ONCE again, the magnifi- cent Fort Manoel will open its doors during an open day today between 9am and 5pm, giving the pub- lic another opportunity to view the restoration works to date and enjoy the Fort in all its former glory. Two guided tours are planned for 11:30am (Eng- lish) and 2.30pm (Mal- tese). Entrance to the Fort and the tours are free of charge. Built in the early years of 1700s by the Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena of the Knights of St John and restored to its former glory by MIDI plc in early years of 2000, Fort Manoel has stood majestically overlooking Marsamxett Harbour as a fine example to Malta's baroque military architec- ture since the early 18th century. The restored fort offers a gem of French military ar- chitecture designed by the Knights architect Charles Francois de Mondion, and a rich history which in- cludes being used as an ex- tension of the Lazzaretto Hospital in the 1800s and re-named HMS Phoenicia by the British. Parking will be available on Manoel Island. For fur- ther details kindly call on (+365) 2065 5500 or send an email to info@midimal- ta.com. More information is also available on https://www. facebook.com/manoelis- landmalta/. SINGER-SONGWRITER Mario Debono, six time-winner of the L-Għanja tal-Poplu festival, will be releasing a new collection of songs entitled 'NOLI'. All the songs on this album are original compositions in Maltese written during Debono's musical career spanning four decades. "In the music scene there is a large amount of commercial mu- sic of high technical level which is listened to for a few months but is then forgotten and dies a natural death", says Debono. "This music and its lyrics have little intrinsic value, do nothing to improve the quality of life of the listener and often end up al- ienating the listener." NOLI will offer to all those who love music written in Maltese, a collection of original, fresh and pertinent songs which discuss contemporary social themes with an enduring artistic value. This work aims to be a contribu- tion to Maltese culture and so- ciety and the Maltese linguistic and musical fields. A number of the compositions on NOLI are already published on CDs by L-Għanja tal-Poplu and were often played on local radio stations and during musi- co-literary evenings, including Poeżijaplus and a 2004 concert held at ĊAK which was attended by 500 people. When these songs were sung on various occasions they were always appreciated by the audi- ence. Their styles vary; there are satirical, humorous, reflective, ironic, poetic, and descriptive songs. The themes also vary; the Maltese language, the family, pastimes, good and evil, migra- tion, faith. The music is inspired by the tonality inherent in the Maltese language. The songs are meant to ap- peal to the general public who likes songs in Maltese, teachers, especially those who teach mu- sic, Maltese, ethics, religion and PSD and who may use them as a starting point for discussion and critical thinking, students, members of Maltese language societies, musicians, songwrit- ers, folk singers and researchers who are interested in language, folklore, linguistics, ethics and sociology. These are not commercial- ly-minded songs but form part of the singer-songwriter tradi- tion which gives weight and cre- dence to meaningful lyrics. NOLI contains twenty original songs, and will be available on CD and on USB. The launch of NOLI is scheduled for the 15th of March 2020. It will be held at Project House, Floriana. The launch event is open to all and entrance is free. After a brief concert, there will be drinks and finger food. All profits will be donated to Dar tal-Providenza. Free parking is available A few days after the launch, Debono will hold a Masterclass for those interested in songs and songwriting. Those who would like to attend any of the events are asked to send an SMS to 99834730 before 22 February, specifying which event/s they are interested in at- tending. Singer-songwriter Mario Debono to release 'NOLI', an anthology of his songs in Maltese St Anthony's Chapel in Fort Manoel Mario Debono