Blog Post 3: Critiquing the National Brand

National Identity Versus Nation Branding

Before examining Malta’s national “brand”, and how that brand came to be, it is primarily important to differentiate the definition of national identity versus national brand. In Abela’s Shaping a National Identity: Malta in the European Union, she defines national identity as being “influenced by individualized values… and an overall concern with global solidarity” (Abela, 10).  Solidarity and uniqueness are both products of these individualized values, helping the Maltese stand out from neighboring countries.  Malta’s national identity primarily revolves around the Mediterranean and Roman Catholic cultures that have had an influence on the country for ages (in reference to the “National Identity” blog post).

Different from national identity, the process of nation branding involves a self-prescribed identity or brand for any given country. Essentially, it’s a country’s way of marketing themselves in appearance on a global stage, through a series of campaigns. These campaigns can include social media, pop culture, and social (or economic) relations between other countries (Jordan, 22). In Malta’s case, Eurovision is their campaign of nation branding.  Both visual and lyrical queues from Malta’s performances (in reference to “The Nation on Stage” blog post) coupled with their self-portrayal of national identity will help discover this national brand.

Nation Branding: Presented? Omitted? Both?

When examining a country’s national brand, it is important to recognize that this process is a showcase by the country, for the country (Jordan, 20). A nation’s popular culture can give clues to the nature of this brand, by what the country’s citizens choose to present or omit towards a global audience.  In this case, Eurovision is the medium of popular culture, and the last five years (2011 through 2015) of Maltese performances can provide an insight towards the favorable national brand.

The most obvious pattern in these performances are the demographic of the performers. From 2011 to 2015, all of Malta’s contestants for Eurovision have been strictly European (Caucasian) with Maltese native origins. From Glen Vella in 2011 to Amber Bondin in 2015, it is evident that Malta is not in favor of boasting its ethnically diverse society in Eurovision. However in more recent years, there has been an attempt to expand the Maltese acceptance of diversity. In 2013, The Time of Malta media outlet began a “12-month project to increase the understanding of interculturalism in Malta through a free printed newspaper…on integration of Third Country Nationals within the Maltese society” (TimesofMalta.com). This shows that while Malta may not have addressed ethnic differences in Eurovision, the nation has realized the lack of representation of varying racial demographics, or “interculturalism”. Furthermore, it is important to recognize Malta’s presented brand of a Western homogenous culture, in Eurovision. The fact that all other growing ethnic populations in Malta are omitted from Eurovision culture shows the country’s lack of homage to the growing immigrant population. Such a growing influx of immigrants is a commonality that is reflected across Europe’s global cities like London (BBC.co.uk).

History of “Othering”: Anything Left Out?

As discussed in the Maltese national identity blog post, a nation’s identity is formulated through analyzing external and internal threats, as well as the Othering. On the other hand, the public treatment and portrayal of these Othering concepts can be examined in favor of the Maltese national brand. Any public mention or description of an Othering given by a country can be seen as a technique to market a personal opinion, or brand (Triandafyllidou, 593).

Similar to Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Malta is quite obviously an island, which creates specific attitudes toward migration and immigration. Various studies have thoroughly covered the lack of acceptance to immigration that island nation-states have. An examination completed by Social Indicators Research has used what they call an “uncertainty analysis”-- a series of polling that looks at levels of uncertainty that civilians have towards immigration in their native region) -- amongst 47 European countries. The aims of this survey were to discover any means of a “perceived socio-economic threat” existing in these countries. The results of this project show that both Malta and Cyprus have the highest levels of these perceived threats (Marozzi, 1). This obviously opens a large void for any given growing migrant population being received by the Maltese as an external threat; an Othering.

The Conflict of Tradition and Modernity

There is no doubt that Malta is a conservative country, for its gravitation towards tradition and Christian roots is very similar to that of Southern Italy (Kininmonth & Gordon-Walker, 31). Firelight’s 2014 performance of “Coming Home” certainly pays homage to these roots. The lead singer Richard Edwards Micallef plays an Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer, which is an American take on the traditional European instrument known as the zither (Appindie, Appalachian Dulcimer). Acoustic style and instrumentation in “Coming Home” is also a parallel with the traditional Maltese music style, Għana. Acoustic guitar, vocals, double bass, piano, drums (full set) and the zither (exotiziing article).

An argument could be made, highlighting that Firelight’s traditional style in “Coming Home” is merely an attempt at publically “exoticizing cultural identity”, or in other words, attracting a global audience through an intriguingly exotic display of culture (Paul, 44). Either way, this Maltese act in Eurovision is truly a symbol of tradition and heritage; a reflection of an era that once was, unaffected by an influx of immigration that is simply unavoidable in modern times. The paradox of showcasing tradition in such a modern context as Eurovision, reveals a conflict surrounding modernity and tradition. Such a conflict, or interplay, is essentially an example of Maltese hegemony with the traditional aspect of a solely white society asserting dominance and president over a growing immigrant population. This interplay is recognizable in Malta’s projected national brand, and will continue to be influenced by religion and socio-economic affairs in the future.

Religious Affiliation

Malta’s connections with Roman Catholicism are solidified by an example of the Knights of Malta, whom serve beneath Pope Francis. Pope Francis was forced to crack the whip over these knights failing to stick to monastic rule, with the knights supporting a birth control charity scandal. This was big news in Malta considering the defiance of the Order is unheard of; international media covered this as well. These events and the repercussions prove the utter importance of Catholicism in Malta, and how the Knights of Malta themselves are a major piece of the Maltese national brand (The Economist).

In Malta’s most recent performances, the word “faith” and allusions to a higher power are often tossed around quite frequently, such as in Amber’s 2015 act with “Warrior”. In a breakdown of the religious composition in Malta, nearly 90% of the country’s inhabitants are Roman Catholic, with the remaining percentages being made up of Islam, Atheism, and other sects of Christianity (MaltaToday). It is no mystery that the majority of the Maltese people are affiliated with this form of Catholicism, which leads to the nearly subliminal projection of these religious ties in their performances.

The True National Brand

What does this have to do with national brand? Or Eurovision? Why does this matter? Amber, Kurt Calleja, Gianluca, Firelight, and Glen Vella are all symbolic of Malta’s conservative views towards immigration, and a diversifying Maltese culture. All are white with Maltese roots, and this demographic being selected to represent Malta on a national stage creates a brand of homogeneity for this country. During their performances angelic backdrop visuals and rays of light often dramatize brief allusions to a higher power. Judging by Malta’s religious composition, this is the Maltese history of Roman Catholicism at work. The social aspect of migration is recent in Malta, and in popular culture mediums such as Eurovision, the country is seen boasting nationalistic views in order to combat these new terms of society.

“Build another wall and watch it crumble by your side…roaming through fields, I’m trying to find this new land… I’m coming home”, shouts Firelight in traditional Għana style (Wiwibloggs). It is clear that in the eyes of the Maltese, an external threat is present. In a society flourishing with foreign immigrants, the true Maltese national brand is created through the conservative fear of a jeopardized religion and overall solidarity.

Word count: 1,366

Work Cited

Abela, Anthony M. "Shaping a National Identity: Malta in the European Union.” International Journal of Sociology 35.4 (2006): 10-27. JSTOR Arts and Sciences IX. Web. 08 Mar. 2017

Appindie. "Appalachian Dulcimer - Amy Fabbri - The Mountain Traditions Project." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

"Coming Home Lyrics - Firelight (Malta Eurovision Song Contest)." Wiwibloggs. N.p., 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

Debono, James. "MaltaToday Survey on Religion." MaltaToday.com.mt. MaltaToday, 15 Mar. 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Jordan, Paul Thomas. The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding, National Identity and the Eurovision Song Contest in Estonia. Tartu: U of Tartu, 2014. Print.

J.H. "Why the Pope Has Taken Control of the Knights of Malta." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 08 Feb. 2017. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Kininmonth, Christopher, and Robin Gordon-Walker. Malta and Gozo. London: Cape, 1987. Print.

Allied Newspapers, Ltd. "Survey on Cultural Diversity." Survey on Cultural Diversity. Times of Malta, 11 July 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Marozzi, Marco. "Construction, Robustness Assessment and Application of an Index of Perceived Level of Socio-Economic Threat from Immigrants: A Study of 47 European Countries and Regions." Springer Link. Springer Netherlands, 19 July 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.

Paul, S. C. (2000). Exoticizing discoveries and extraordinary experiences: "Traditional Music, Modernity, and Nostalgia in Malta and Other Mediterranean Societies. Ethnomusicology, 44 (2), 281-301. Retrieved from http://login.proxy.seattleu.edu/proquest.

"Thousands in UK Citizenship Queue." BBC News. BBC, 12 Feb. 2006. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Triandafyllidou, Anna. “National Identity and the ‘Other’.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 21, no. 4, 1998, pp. 593–612.

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