Ġużi Gatt

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Ġużi Gatt (1955- )

Ġużi Gatt inspecting the width of a tanbur, the traditional frame drum

is a founder member of Etnika, together with Ruben Zahra, Steve Borg and Andrew Alamango. Born in the south-eastern town of Żejtun, Gatt grew up in an għana ambience. He is reputedly known as Malta's foremost builder of the traditional instruments żaqq (Maltese bagpipe), żummara (single reed pipe) and flejguta (cane whistle flute).

He has also collected all known terminology related to the żaqq. Gatt has built several bagpipes, continuing the tradition passed on to him from Toni Cachia l-Ħammarun and has encouraged a number of people to revive the flejguta, by the number of instruments that he has handed to aspiring musicians. Gatt uses locally sourced material, including native cane (Arundo donax).

Gatt is also the secretary of the Għaqda Maltija tal-Folklor, and edits their annual edition of L-Imnara. Over the last few years a number of contributions on Maltese folk music, mainly by Anna Borg-Cardona and Angelo Dougall, have been published in it.

He has collected ethnographic material on the Maltese people and has written Qiegħda fil-ponta ta' lsieni, published by Klabb Kotba Maltin in 2005.