ManaTapu is a music group from

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

formed in 2012. The band consists at this date of Dario Vella C (vocals, lead guitar), Ryan Abela (drums), Pupa Chile (MC, vocals), Tete a.k.a. Camacho Criminal (MC, vocals), James Saliba (bass guitar), Luca Gurrieri (Saxophone), Liksu (trumpet, keyboard). Initially rooted in

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

and

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

, ManaTapu "also draws inspiration from a host of other sounds and genres that run the gamut from funk to blues",

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

to folk,

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

to polka, and even,

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

. Collectively, the band speaks about 5 languages. With lyrics which range from English, to Maltese, to Spanish and French, the band cites its multicultural influences as a core element of the ManaTapu sound. Known to "generate massive audience reaction when they play live", ManaTapu are "one of the most sought-after live acts on the island" of Malta. This live energy was captured in their music video for son
music video for song ''Kanta r Rima''
filmed during the band's "headlining show at the 2014 Sliema Street Art Festival".

Band name

The group's name is inspired by, and composed of two separate words,

Mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...

and Tapu, which are found in Māori tradition and culture. 'Mana' is a word found in

Austronesian languages The Austronesian languages ( ) are a language family widely spoken throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, parts of Mainland Southeast Asia, Madagascar, the islands of the Pacific Ocean and Taiwan (by Taiwanese indigenous peoples). They are spoken ...

translating to "power, effectiveness, prestige" often with supernatural and magical connotations. 'Tapu' is closely linked to the Māori concept of mana (respect / authority) and many view tapu as the mana derived from the gods. As the New Zealand Ministry of Justice puts it:

Mana and tapu are concepts which have both been attributed single-worded definitions by contemporary writers. As concepts, especially Maori concepts they can not easily be translated into a single English definition. Both mana and tapu take on a whole range of related meanings depending on their association and the context in which they are being used.

History

Prior to ManaTapu's formation, founding members Dario Vella C, and Francesco Darmanin had played in a band called ''I'n'I''. It was in the summer months of 2010, at a reggae bar in St-Julians called "Juuls", that Dario and Francesco would meet Jogy and Pupa Chile, and begin playing music together under the 'ManaTapu' name. The foursome met Tete in Summer 2011, at a jam session at bar / venue ''Ta Fra Ben'', in a Maltese town called

Buġibba Buġibba (English pronunciation: ) is a zone within St. Paul's Bay in the Northern Region, Malta. Situated adjacent to Qawra, it is a popular tourist resort, containing numerous hotels, restaurants, pubs, archit clubs, and a casino. History Duri ...

. In October 2012, the band would meet Andrew McGrath, ex drummer for Montreal punk rock group Humanifesto, and ask him to join the group. This was only ten days prior to the band's final show at the 'Rookies' Battle of the Bands in

, which was the first of two battles that ManaTapu would win in a period of 6 months. Francesco decided to leave the band in 2016 so Aaron replaced him until James Saliba took over in April 2019, also the drummer Andrew McGrath have been replaced by Ryan Abela in 2018. After the first Europe Tour 2019 that took place in June and July 2019 in Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, the members of the band decided to parting ways with Jogy Bo, due to personal issues. The band is now ready for new adventure & new music, "what began as fun acoustic jams on Malta’s beaches in the summer of 2012 gradually turned into ManaTapu."

Discography

*''Timpana'' (2013) *''TuaTara'' (2018)

References

{{Reflist

External links

ManaTapu Official website

Review of ''Timpana'' EP
Maltese musical groups

Band name

History

Discography

See also

References

External links