Lito and rock music have been synonymous ever since he started to present a radio show on Radju 99. Apart from his long residency at Capital Radio and a shorter one at Radio 101 as one of the Fuzzbox presenters, you'll probably also know Lito as the host of the Kottonera Rock Show on Radju Kottoner. Here he picks out his favourite local cuts of the year.
"Every time I'm asked to pick a few favourites I always end up scratching my head, not only because the number of Maltese releases has grown so much, but it is quite hard to choose just 5 songs when it's been such a prolific year, but here goes. So, which were the most popular, which were the ones with more radio play, which were the ones I personally liked? I've decided to base my picks on the statistics of my radio playlists, the songs I played most on my shows".
Winter Moods - Flowers & Cash
The first track on my list is Flowers & Cash by Winter Moods from The Journey album. Winter Moods are synonymous with ballads, but when they come up with an upbeat song, they always stand out.
The Crowns - Mary Jane
My second choice is this very upbeat song by The Crowns. It has a mainstream style that can be played everywhere, and I really like how they slipped in 'taboo-ed' words into a melodic song.
WaterWings - Forever Clear
Forever Clear by WaterWings portrays the musical knowledge of this band, which I see as them having some fun with funk. It's a song that I found very appealing.
Jon Lukas Woodenman - Secrets
Put aside his Can't Afford to Lose evergreen hit for a moment and listen to the latest Jon Lukas Woodenman song, Secrets. The voice is there, the words and music are his own, a subtle song yet so political when you read between the lines.
Colourblind - Timbru
An honorable mention goes to Colorblind's Timbru, a direct Maltese language song addressing discrimination with a touch of the band's prog-rock leanings.