Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538131
LAURA CALLEJA lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt 2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 AUGUST 2025 MUSIC ON the rooftop of the Catholic Institute in Floriana, something special is happening. It is not just another summer event. For one night only, artists Martina Borg and Jolene Samhan will be performing together, forming a new connection in real time. Organised by the Archbishop's Delegate for Culture, Martina and Jolene have joined forces for the first time, exploring soul and pop tunes from Laufey to Etta James to Raye. Backed by a full four-piece band, their collabo- rative performance promises a fresh and intimate set. MaltaToday sat down with ar- tistic director Annalisa Schem- bri, as well as Jolene and Marti- na, to discuss the collaborative nature of the event. "It's about transformation," says Annalisa. "We had other venues in mind. But this rooftop? It carries a dif- ferent narrative. People think of it as old, traditional. But once you're up here, everything shifts. The view, the energy, the possi- bilities." The project was born from a desire to disrupt the norm, not for spectacle, but for sinceri- ty. Malta's summer calendar is filled with large-scale and other festivals, most of them focused on entertainment. But this, An- nalisa explains, is something else. "We said, let's create our own space. Let's be part of the solution. Let's value the artists. Let's value the stories. This isn't about filling a programme slot; it's about shaking things up by doing things with integrity." The third evening of the Roof- top Series, which takes place on Monday 4 August, will see Jo- lene and Martina take the stage together. The pair had crossed paths before, most recently as part of a multicultural choir led by The New Victorians, but this marks their debut concert as a duo in this collaboration. "It's raw," says Martina. "The songs are stripped down, jazzy, acoustic. The setlist lives in that in-between space, not happy, not sad." She is also the one who came up with the show's title: In Between Light and Darkness, a name that mirrors the concert's carefully choreographed timing with the sunset. "We planned it like that. While the music plays, the sky changes. You're in this suspended mo- ment. It's symbolic." Jolene, too, felt something rare in the project. "There's a lot of talent in Malta. But it's rare to see artists collaborate like this. That's what drew me in, the chance to try something new, to create something from the un- known… We're from different islands. Different backgrounds. Are we going to mesh? That's the risk. But it's also where the magic lives." Behind the scenes, the team has been intentional about every detail, from sound and stage de- sign to ticketing. "This is a pro- fession," Annalisa says. "Artists being asked to perform at free events undermines the whole ecosystem. We ticketed this be- cause it has value, the value of story, of labour, of creativity." But the aim isn't exclusivity, the opposite. She continues that they have tried to make it as ac- cessible as possible. "It's on a Monday. There's a focaccia bar. A bar. Come after work. It's a soft landing, a break." Jolene continues that they want "people to feel. To connect. To walk away with a little more em- pathy. A little more awareness." "We're not just sharing songs," Martina adds. "We're sharing stories. And sometimes those stories are bigger than the song itself." Annalisa puts it another way: "It's the in-between space that matters. That's where the sur- prise lives. That's where collab- oration breathes. If we don't go there, we never find it." Martina and Jolene's live set takes place on Monday, 4th August. Doors open at 7:15 PM, with the show starting at 8:00 PM, on the rooftop of the Catholic Institute in Floriana. Tickets available at: https:// www.showshappening.com/ adfculture/Rooftop-Series- Summer-Festival-2025--MAR- TINA--JOLENE-LIVE-SET Two voices. One stage Photos by: Mauro Attard