Għana

Għana, pronounced ana, is Malta's national folk singing: improvised, rhymed verse sung to Spanish-style guitar accompaniment in wine bars, village festas and dedicated sessions. Its highest form, għana spirtu pront, pits two or more għannejja in quick-fire sung duels of wit and insult on a set theme, each stanza composed in the moment to strict metre and rhyme, while għana tal-fatt recounts tales and għana fil-għoli showcases a soaring high register over slow arpeggios. Accompanied by a small guitar group led by the prim guitarist, it is the living emblem of Maltese vernacular culture, inscribed by *UNESCO* in 2021.