Politicians, rifts and music : parody songs in Maltese politics

Abstract

The use of parody songs in politics, particularly in election campaigns, is widely regarded as an effective means of communicating political messages in ways that are familiar, accessible, entertaining and engaging. This chapter explores the value and use of parody songs in Maltese politics by focusing on three examples from the Maltese popular music repertoire. These examples are examined against snapshots from Malta’s political history that are most relevant to each. The discussion begins with political parody songs by the then popular Maltese singer Gaetano Buttigieg (1923–2004), also known at that time as Gaetano Kanta. This is followed by a political parody song from the years leading up to the 1987 general elections and the use of popular tunes from local festive band marches for that purpose. In order to provide further insights into what these songs meant and how they were made to mean in their respective social and historical contexts the discussion also considers aesthetic precepts most relevant to each example.