Two voices. One stage

On the rooftop of the Catholic Institute in Floriana, something special is happening. It is not just another summer event. For one night only, artists Martina Borg and Jolene Samhan will be performing together, forming a new connection in real time.

Organised by the Archbishop’s Delegate for Culture, Martina and Jolene have joined forces for the first time, exploring soul and pop tunes from Laufey to Etta James to Raye. Backed by a full four-piece band, their collaborative performance promises a fresh and intimate set.

MaltaToday sat down with artistic director Annalisa Schembri, as well as Jolene and Martina, to discuss the collaborative nature of the event. “It’s about transformation,” says Annalisa. “We had other venues in mind. But this rooftop? It carries a different narrative. People think of it as old, traditional. But once you’re up here, everything shifts. The view, the energy, the possibilities.”

The project was born from a desire to disrupt the norm, not for spectacle, but for sincerity. Malta’s summer calendar is filled with large-scale and other festivals, most of them focused on entertainment. But this, Annalisa explains, is something else. “We said, let’s create our own space. Let’s be part of the solution. Let’s value the artists. Let’s value the stories. This isn’t about filling a programme slot; it’s about shaking things up by doing things with integrity.”

The third evening of the Rooftop Series, which takes place on Monday 4 August, will see Jolene and Martina take the stage together. The pair had crossed paths before, most recently as part of a multicultural choir led by The New Victorians, but this marks their debut concert as a duo in this collaboration.

“It’s raw,” says Martina. “The songs are stripped down, jazzy, acoustic. The setlist lives in that in-between space, not happy, not sad.” She is also the one who came up with the show’s title: In Between Light and Darkness, a name that mirrors the concert’s carefully choreographed timing with the sunset.
“We planned it like that. While the music plays, the sky changes. You’re in this suspended moment. It’s symbolic.”

Jolene, too, felt something rare in the project. “There’s a lot of talent in Malta. But it’s rare to see artists collaborate like this. That’s what drew me in, the chance to try something new, to create something from the unknown… We’re from different islands. Different backgrounds. Are we going to mesh? That’s the risk. But it’s also where the magic lives.”

Behind the scenes, the team has been intentional about every detail, from sound and stage design to ticketing. “This is a profession,” Annalisa says. “Artists being asked to perform at free events undermines the whole ecosystem. We ticketed this because it has value, the value of story, of labour, of creativity.”

But the aim isn’t exclusivity, the opposite. She continues that they have tried to make it as accessible as possible. “It’s on a Monday. There’s a focaccia bar. A bar. Come after work. It’s a soft landing, a break.”

Jolene continues that they want “people to feel. To connect. To walk away with a little more empathy. A little more awareness.” “We’re not just sharing songs,” Martina adds. “We’re sharing stories. And sometimes those stories are bigger than the song itself.”

Annalisa puts it another way: “It’s the in-between space that matters. That’s where the surprise lives. That’s where collaboration breathes. If we don’t go there, we never find it.”

Martina and Jolene’s live set takes place on Monday, 4th August. Doors open at 7:15 PM, with the show starting at 8:00 PM, on the rooftop of the Catholic Institute in Floriana. Tickets available at: https://www.showshappening.com/adfculture/Rooftop-Series-Summer-Festival-2025--MARTINA--JOLENE-LIVE-SET