Malta Song for Europe 1998
This Festival Malta Song For Europe 1998 was organized by the Ministry of Youth and Culture under the auspices of Minister Dr Joe Cilia, the Festival was held on 6 and 7 Febuary 1998 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
The Organising Committee for this Festival was made by Norman Hamilton as the chairman of the Festival, Robert Cefai Secretary and Andrew Buhagiar, Andrew Psaila, Gino Cauchi, M’Lourdes Bonnici and Ray Axisa as members
There are ? Submissions
Awards Festival Song For Europe 1998
(A) The winning song tirrapenzenta to Malta in the Eurovision Song Festival 1998 will be held in Birmingham on 9 th May, 1998.
(B) The Composer Finalist given Lm 425 while singers Lm 115 winners awarded
(C) The Second place winner Composer given Lm 260 while singers given Lm 100.
(D) The Third place winner Composer given Lm 175 Lm 90 while he is afforded l-Singers.
(E) The composer of the song Sixteeth who took part and were not ranked first,second or third place given Lm 50 each.
(F) The songs will be recorded on CD.
The program of the Festival was so
Friday 6 th February 1998 at 7.30pm Sung Six Finalist Songs from Category ‘A’ and Sixteeth Songs from Category ‘B’. Show by 1997 Winner Debbie Scerri Show by Wintermoods
Saturday 7 th February 1998 at 7.30pm Sung Four Finalist Songs from Category ‘A’ and Sixteeth Songs from Category ‘B’. Show by 1997 Winner Debbie Scerri Show by Eurovision 1997 winner Katrina & The Waves
Winners and becomes the Presentation by Hon. Minister Dr.Joe Cilia.
Category ‘ A’
Here are the 6 Songs featured in the final:-
| No | Singers | Songs | Lyrics | Music |
| 01 | Orion | Longing dawn | Josephine Scerri | Clifford Borg |
| 02 | Karen Polidano | Searching The Seas | Jean Paul Casaletto | Konrad Pule |
| 03 | Rita Pace | Come Back Home | Rita Pace | Rita Pace |
| 04 | Ivan Spiteri Lucas | Playing With My Heart | Rita Pace | Mark Spiteri Lucas |
| 05 | Tonio Cuschieri | That Magic In Your Eyes | Jason Xuereb | Jason Xuereb |
| 06 | Natasha Grima | Nights Alone | Geoffrey Cilia | Elton Zarb |
Category ‘B’
Here are the 16 Songs featured in the final:-
| No | Singers | Songs | Lyrics | Music |
| 01 | Claudette Pace & The 6th Above | Listen To Our Voices | Philip Vella | Ray Agius |
| 02 | Marvic Lewis | Voice In The Night | Doris Chetcuti | Eugenio Schembri |
| 03 | Vince Bongailas | Unexplained | Vince Bongailas | Vince Bongailas |
| 04 | Marisa D’Amato | Love Will Be Your Light | Joe Chircop | Renato Briffa |
| 05 | Miriam Christine | It’s Up To You | Alfred C. Sant | Ray Agius |
| 06 | Leontine | Children Of Mother Earth | Mark Tonna | Rene Mamo |
| 07 | Enzo Gusman | As Far As I Can See | Enzo Gusman | Enzo Gusman |
| 08 | Ġeorġina Abela | The Morning Rain | John Paul Grech | Paul Abela |
| 09 | Chiara | The On That I Love | Sunny Aquilina | Jason Paul Cassar |
| 10 | Fiona Cauchi | Same Time Tomorrow | Cynthia Sammut | Alfred Zammit |
| 11 | Catherine Vigar | Give Love More Space | Joe Chircop | Renato Briffa |
| 12 | Tarcisio Barbara | How Can I Get Over You | Alfred C. Sant | Ray Agius |
| 13 | Fate | Listen | Mario Fenech Caruana | Philip Vella |
| 14 | Lawrence Gray | New-Born Heart | Joe Julian Farrugia | Joe Brown |
| 15 | Olivia Lewis | You’re The One | Doris Chetcuti | Eugenio Schembri |
| 16 | Fabrizio Faniello | More Than Just A Game | Ġeorġina Abela | Paul Abela |
The Winners
Here are the first 3 placing Songs featured in the final:-
| No | Singers | Songs | Lyrics | Music |
| 01 | Mario Caruana | Bla Kliem, Bla Sliem | Mario Fenech Caruana | Mario Caruana |
| 01 | Chaira | The One That I Want | Sunny Aquilina | Jason Paul Cassar |
| 02 | Fabrizio Faniello | More Then Just A Game | Ġeorġina Abela | Paul Abela |
| 03 | Claudette Pace & The 6 th Above | Listen To Our Voices | Philip Vella | Ray Agius |
The The One That I Love by Chiara Siracussa will be rappresent Malta in the Eurovision song Contest 1998.
The Jury
The Members of the Jury where:- (Not Known till today)
The Comperes
The presenters of the two evenings were Angela Agius, John Demanuele, Patrick Vella, Denise Mintoff
From this year the live Orchestra was stop and singers must accumped playback.
Special Thanks
- General Coordination - Robert Cefai
- Executive Director – Joe Borg Ghigo
- Stage Director – Pierre Cachia
- Visual direction – Joe Scicluna
- Photographer – Italo Bonfanti
- Designs Of Stage – John L Grima
- TV Producation – PBS Ltd
- Audio – Waves Enterprises
- Lighting – Light Sound & Vision ITC
- Building Set – Pawlu Busuttil, Charles Vassallo, Emnauel Briffa