Żaqq
Żaqq
The żaqq (with definite article: iż-żaqq) is the most common form of Maltese bagpipes. The instrument was once associated with Maltese folk-festivals.[1]
History
The use of the żaqq in daily life came to an end in the 1970s, the instrument having been perhaps replaced by the accordion earlier in the century.[2] In 1977 the Galpin Society noted only nine remaining traditional pipers in Malta; the last of these, Toni "l-Hammarun" Cachia, died in 2004.[3] There are ongoing attempts to revive the instrument by various folk music ensembles such as Etnika.
Etymology and spelling
It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the zapp due to a spelling error in a 1939 English-language publication. The Maltese word żaqq literally means "sack" or "belly" and derives from Arabic ziqq ( "skin" [as a receptacle]). It is sometimes stated that żaqq derives from Italian zampogna but this is not the case. ≤≥±
Further reading
Ruben Zahra. *Iz-zaqq the Maltese bagpipe [5] *. Mills College Theses, Mills College