French musician Abaji in Malta in April

La Fête de la Francophonie each year drums up excitement with festivals of music and song bonanzas for families all over the world. It does not only attract the 274 million who speak French but also those who love the French language and use it to access French culture ranging from the arts, entertainment, education and the social media. French, a widespread official working language in international institutions especially the UN and the EU, is taught to school children and university students on all the continents. Since 1883 more than 850 centres of the Alliance Française introduce millions of young and adult persons, businessmen and diplomats to French in 137 countries. There is a shared linguistic space with millions participating in mutual exchanges among many nations. Those benefitting from such enhancing experiences include the public at large but also professional associations, journalists, authors, NGOs and artists. Whole families, including the young and old, just love French.

World-known Abaji is one musical performer who loves the French language and music. Born in Lebanon of Greek and Armenian descent, Frenchman Abaji is France’s ambassador to many communities, producing fun in sounds and words for all the family. Through the services of the French Embassy, he will be in Malta on the afternoon of Saturday, 8 April at the Catholic Institute in Floriana engaging persons of all ages in a wonderful musical and singing session that makes French just cool. The audience in Malta will not only sing and clap in rhythmical motions... it will also connect with the performer in boundless bun- dles of excitement. Groups and families as well as individuals are invited. Entrance to the show starting at 4 pm is free.

Abaji has already entertained packed audiences in Guatemala last year, followed with successful performances in Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Haiti, Kosovo, Mexico, Qatar, Switzerland, Uruguay and Vietnam besides Panama and New Zealand. This multi-instruments performer has just launched his latest new album entitled Route & Roots. During this month he is also keenly expected to perform in Paris in a top song and dance concert.

Abaji’s path to music is as colourful as his artistic presentations. He arrived in France in 1976 and immediately showed a passion for traditional Chinese medicine; he studied at the Medical University in Paris to graduate as a therapist. But music is a tradition in the family so he began learning the guitar at 11 followed by several other instruments: the clarinet, percussions, bouzouki and flutes. Later he worked on the transformation of instruments to synthesize his musical passions: Indian music, Oriental music and blues. Always searching for new ideas, he played the guitar with a violin bow on stage in a number of international festivals. In 1996, Abaji composed his first album Paris-Beyrouth, singing in French, Arabic and English. He then followed with Bedouin Blues and Nomad Spirit, an album where great musicians were invited to play on different pieces. Abaji also composed film and TV soundtracks among them the music of JeanCharles Deniaud’s documentary Le Temps des Otages in 2009. During the same year he recorded his fifth album Origine Orients, singing in French, Arabic, Greek, Turkish and Armenian. Musical meetings took Abaji on tour to five continents playing with the Zulus of South Africa, the Indians of Mexico, the Gnawas of Morocco and the Kawwali of Lahore in Pakistan. He is looking forward to meeting the Maltese audience that is right at the centre of the Mediterranean, the sea that has inspired all his music. In agreement with the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation a voluntary collection will be made in aid of the foundation.