It is with great sadness that I received the news of the passing of George Mifsud Chirchop on the 19th of December, who will be remembered as one of the greatest friends of Maltese Folklore and the Maltese language in our time. The body of work George leaves behind will serve those students of Maltese Ghana and Prejjem well. It has always been a sad chapter in Maltese history that we did not treat our indigenous music with enough dignity and pride in past centuries and to a great degree left it up to foreign researchers and writers such as San Priest, Percy Badger, Bertha Ilg, Hans Stumme, Norma McLeod, and Marcia Herndon to explore our unique Ghana music. George Mifsud Chirchop recognised this as a teacher and academic, but he was a "hands-on" person who was not content to just write about the topic. He wanted to explore, discover and get his hands dirty by living the scene and experiencing the serati with the Ghannejja, Kitarristi and Delittanti. He also saw the great potential in this music genre and wanted to break new ground which he hoped would earn it true recognition.

George always had great respect and admiration for Guze Cassar Pullicino as a researcher and writer on Maltese Folklore. He was always fascinated with the first Ghana Competitions which took place at "l-Inmarja" at Buskett Gardens in the mid fifties, where post war Ghana legends notched their place in Ghana history with their oral singing and witty rhyming, although somewhat restricted by the given topic "is-suggett", during organised competitions. These impromptu sessions always drove Mifsud Chirchop to strive to recreate a similar scenario. It did not take long for George to discover the ghanneja code of ethics which requires a lot of careful understanding of behavioural patterns and complex tensions which are after all driven by their love for their music. But George was always courageous in his vision and his determination, which drove him on against all odds. It is this determination that led him to assume the responsibility for the first Ghana Festival in May 1998 and in so doing achieved his dream for Ghana music.

Not all the Ghannejja accepted George's system of administrating but I believe everyone concerned admired George's ability to absorb the pressures of such a huge task and moved forward with the single aim of producing a Festival for all to be proud of. He always knew the Festival would open doors for the ghannejja and kitarristi not only to show their wares in front of local audiences but neighbouring nations whose influences where similar to ours and who could identify with our unique musical heritage. George proceeded to invite guest groups of European and Middle Eastern origins to contribute. This created the first step towards taking Maltese Ghana out Maltese soil into other territories. As a result of George's work many Maltese Ghannejja were invited to sing in other countries in Southern Europe and won trophies for their performances. Many ghannejja who visit my Ghana programmes on SBS Radio in Melbourne, Australia, tell me of their enriching experience from singing outside of Malta to a foreign audience and getting applauded for their talent.

This was something that fulfilled George Mifsud Chirchop's dream of one day having Maltese Ghana recognised throughout Europe as a unique European music which differentiated us from other nations. While the World is now refereed to as a global village, George was quick to recognise that for the first time in its history Ghana music could be enjoyed and accepted by other nations and as a result heighten our identity as a nation.

My first radio experience with George was on PBS in 1997, when I joined him on several episodes of his Folklore Music programme "Bejn Il-Prejjem u l-Kadenza". George was very interested in the Ghana scene in Australia and was most interested in my experiences and research of Ghana in Australia.
Along with his guests George discussed and analysed ghanjiet by Ghana greats such as Pawlu Seychell "l-Ghannej", Pawlu l-Bies 'Is-Simenza", Indri Farrugia "il Marrimew", Mikiel Abela "il-Bambini" and others such Ghana greats as Guzeppi Xuereb 'Ix-Xhudi". It was apparent to me as a guest on several of his programmes that George was not just an academic, but he was infatuated by the sounds and clever repartees and rhyming. Those who come into Maltese Ghana, even as students, can find the study of the topic not just an exercise in ethnomusicology but a part of their identity as a Maltese born individuals, regardless of whatever else drives them in the academic field. George was such a person. He loved what he did and wanted to see the music progress to its ultimate potential.

I often quote Jimmy Camilleri 'Jimmy tal fjur" words of wisdom, "jekk tilghab bin-nhar tinharaq (if you play with fire you get burnt) and George Mifsud Chirchop got burnt with the love of this unique Maltese music genre. In so doing he left us a heritage and a body of work which he unlocked for us and articulated in books, Radio and TV shows and his presentations as a teacher and as an academic.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Ghana Festival in the year 2006. There I got an insight into the organisation and the logistics involved from the very first night, as I saw issues develop which most people in the audience were generally unacquainted with. George as usual went about his task in his usual calm disposition, although it was then I realised the amount of pressure George was enduring in his presentation of these events.

George Mifsud Chirchop had a strong wish to visit Australia and visit the Ghana Clubs and venues where Ghana singing still survives and audiences made up of Ghana dilettantes fill the halls where it is presented. He always felt this would enrich his study on the topic and widen his scope for writing about the subject, but it was not to be.

Many people like myself will miss George not only as a source of learning but as a collaborator and a colleague in the preservation of Maltese indigenous music of Ghana and Prejjem.
May he rest in peace.

Manuel Casha

www.manuelcasha.com