Marija L-Maltija
Encyclopedia
"Marija l-Maltija" was the Maltese
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971
, performed in Maltese
by Joe Grech
. This was Malta's debut Eurovision
entry and consequently the first time that the Maltese language or any other Semitic
language was heard at the Contest.
The song is an up-tempo number, with Grech describing his feelings as he waits at the main bus terminal in Valletta
for his lover to arrive. He also describes the girl, who he declares is very worthy of being named "The Maltese Maria".
The song was performed second on the night, following Austria
's Marianne Mendt
with "Musik
" and preceding Monaco
's Séverine
with "Un banc, un arbre, une rue
". At the close of voting, it had received 52 points, placing 18th (last) in a field of 18. The abnormally high score by modern standards for a last-place finish is due to the voting system in place at the time, whereby all songs were guaranteed at least 34 points.
It was succeeded as Maltese representative
at the 1972 contest
by Helen & Joseph with "L-imħabba".
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971
Eurovision Song Contest 1971
The Eurovision Song Contest 1971 was the sixteenth Eurovision Song Contest and the first held in Dublin, Ireland. The new voting system that was introduced in this Eurovision did have one big problem: some juries gave fewer points out than others...
, performed in Maltese
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
by Joe Grech
Joe Grech
Joseph Grech, a Maltese singer, was born in Cospicua, Malta on 9 February 1934. He married Josephine née' Buttigieg on 24 September 1961. They have a daughter Marcelle, also a versatile singer. At a very early stage in his life, Joe started to play the trumpet with the Zejtun Band Club...
. This was Malta's debut Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
entry and consequently the first time that the Maltese language or any other Semitic
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
language was heard at the Contest.
The song is an up-tempo number, with Grech describing his feelings as he waits at the main bus terminal in Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
for his lover to arrive. He also describes the girl, who he declares is very worthy of being named "The Maltese Maria".
The song was performed second on the night, following Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
's Marianne Mendt
Marianne Mendt
Marianne Mendt is an Austrian jazz singer and actress, best known for her participation in the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest.- Early career :...
with "Musik
Musik (song)
"Musik" was the Austrian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1971, performed in Viennese by Marianne Mendt....
" and preceding Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
's Séverine
Séverine (singer)
Séverine is a French singer.Séverine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 for Monaco, performing "Un banc, un arbre, une rue" , with music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and words by Yves Dessca...
with "Un banc, un arbre, une rue
Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue
"Un banc, un arbre, une rue" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 performed in French by French singer Séverine, representing Monaco....
". At the close of voting, it had received 52 points, placing 18th (last) in a field of 18. The abnormally high score by modern standards for a last-place finish is due to the voting system in place at the time, whereby all songs were guaranteed at least 34 points.
It was succeeded as Maltese representative
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1971. At first the island state sent songs in its native language, Maltese, but it failed to rank highly, and withdrew after the 1975 contest. Since its return in 1991, however, it has achieved eight top ten placings in a row, including...
at the 1972 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1972
The Eurovision Song Contest 1972 was the 17th edition series. Monaco was unable to host this year's Eurovision as they were unable to provide the resources. They approached French TV, who agreed to produce the contest, but only if the contest was staged in France and not the planned Monte Carlo...
by Helen & Joseph with "L-imħabba".