News

Salvu Galea"il-kalora"

passes away in Melbourne, Australia

 

Salvu Galea 'il-Kalora'

 

The Maltese Folklore music scene has lost another stalwart in its ranks by the passing of Salvu Galea 'il-Kalora" who was born in Naxxar Malta on the 4th of November 1944.

Salvu was a huge talent in the Maltese Ghana singing scene. In his career he sang with the greatest Maltese Ghana legends in the post war period both in Malta and in Australia.

He was known all around the world where there are Maltese Folklore singing dilettantes. He was invited to many countries around the world to sing to Maltese audiences such as the U.S., the UK, Canada and all over Australia. Apart from his tremendous talent in " Ghana Spirtu Pront" (impromptu singing and rhyming) he lately took to writing and singing his own 'fatti' (stories) with great success. The CD's of these fatti were generally snapped up in the shortest time.

He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and Maltese Ghana followers.

I did several interviews with Salvu while he was alive and he was always eager to help and explain the finer points of his music genre. His contribution will help future students of Maltese Folklore music to understand the principles of Ghana music in the future. Salvu is the son of another great legendary ghannej, his father is none other the Ninu Galea 'Il-kalora". He was also brother to another famous ghannej Jesmond Galea who is highly sought after in the Ghana scene in Malta.

The music you hear is Salvu singing the story of his father Ninu from a Vernada Music publication which was published as a book and CD in 2004.

May he rest in peace.

Manuel Casha

20 October 2008

*********

 

Zaren Attard 'il-Bukkacc"

dies in Melbourne, Australia

Zaren Attard 'Il-Bukkacc"

R.I.P.

 

Manuel Casha's speech at the funeral of

Zaren Attard "il-Bukkacc" - 4 July 2008

 

Meta gejt mistoqsi biex nghid kelmtejn fuq Zaren Attard "il-Bukkacc" gew f'mohhi bosta tifkiriet sbih u memorabbli, imma wara li ghamilt lista ta dawn, iddicidejt li nzomm biss ftit impressjonijiet li l-aktar ifakkuruni fih.

Zaren kien bniedem li ghalkemm ma kienx rega lura f"Malta darba' wasal Awstralja , imma fl-istess hin qatt ma nesa l-origini tieghu f'art twielidu, u baqa jghoss dak kollu li hu Malti, sew l-uzanzi, il-kultura Maltija, il-lingwa Maltija, kif ukoll il-hajja mibnija ma dwar il-familja.

Fl-istess hin kien addatta ruhu ghal hajja gdida fl-Awstralja, fejn gie biex jibni il-futur, ghal familja tieghu.
Huwa kien bniedem li jaf jaddatta ruhu ghal ambjent li kien jghix fih, u xhida ta dan kien, li meta kont immur narah l-isptar kien ikollu hbieb izuruh ta nazzjonalitajjiet ohra, minn kien kollega fuq ix-xoghol, ohrjan kienu hbieb jew girien. Zaren kien jaf jaddatta ruhu ma kullhadd.

Fis sena 2008 , flimkienn ma Father Antony Zammit, bdejna nhejju biex naghmlu l--ewwel quddiesa tal Ghana fl-Awstralja. Dan kien pass kbir , li kien jitlob permessi specjali mill kurja, studju ta lirika miktuba minn professuri tal Malti , Olver Friggieri u Guze Cardona , li kienu kitbu il-quddiesa.
Il-quddiesa kienet diga saret f'Malta minn Frans Baldacchino "il-Budaj', ghalhekk il-pressjoni fuq l-ghannejja maghzula kienet qawwija,

Dan kien progett li japperteni certu kuragg, ghax il-kongregazzjoni li attendit fil Knisja ta San Guzepp fil-Parrocca ta Springvale dak in-nhar, kienet ta nazzjonijiet imhalltin.

Imma Zaren dejjem taghni l-impressjoni li kellu certu imhabba lejn suggetti spiritwali u riflettivi u is-success tal- quddiesa ghalih kienet priorita.
L-Ghanja li kellu jghanni fil -quddiesa kien jisima
"L-Ghanja Tar--Rabta"
Il-quddiesa saret Fis 16 Lulju 1988, u kienet success., u b'hekk permezz tal-partecipazzjoni ta Zaren Attard, flimkien ma shabu, inkiteb kapitlu gdid fl-istorja tal Ghana Malti fl-Awstralja.
***
Meta it-tfal tieghu Charlie u Peter bdew jihdu interess fid-daqq tal kitarri u l-prejjem Maltin, ghakemm kien iheggighom u jaghmilhom il-kuragg, imma dejjem ridhom jaghmlu l-affarijiet bis-serjeta.
Gili kont prezenti meta kien jaghtihom parir, biex jew joqodu attenti ghal dik in-nota jew ghal dik il-battuta.
Zaren kien jghatini l-impressjoni li kien perfezzjonijist u dejjem ridd li l-affarjiet isiru sewwa.

Meta L-Australian National Library ta Canberra bdiet stharrig u gbir tal hoss tal Muzika Tradizzjonali Maltija, Zaren kien ta semu permezz ta diskussjonijiet u tifsir fuq id-daqq u l-ghana Malti.

Zaren kien prezenti waqt li id-daqq ta uliedu Charlie u Peter gie irrekordjat ghal arkijvi tal librerija. Siltiet minn dan id-daq huma uzati fix-xandir sal lum.
L-Istudenti tal futur li ghad jaghmlu ricerka fuq il-muzika Maltija ghal tezi jew progetti fl-istudji tgahhom, ser isibu il-kontribuzjoni ta Zaren, ta ghajnuna ghalhom.

Ghalkemm jien qed nitkellem fuq Zaren minn nahha tad-delizzju tieghu tal-Ghana Malti, Zaren kien iddedekat ghal familja, u ghalkemm jien kont nafu aktar minn nahha ta' l-Ghana, meta kien jidher fil-publiku, il-hajja tieghu mal familja kienet l-ewwel priorita ghalih.

Infatti izjed ma ghadda z-zmien u sirt naf lil Zaren, aktar mill qrib, aktar osservajt b'liema qiema u ghozza Zaren Attard kien mizmum mill familja tieghu.

It-telfa ta Zaren Attard "Il-Bukkacc" hija telfa kbira ghal familja tieghu,
Ghal qrabatu,
Ghal hbieb tieghu
u ghal Ghana Malti fl-Awstralja…

Imma jien sgur li il-memorja u il-kontribuzzjoni u tieghu, ser tibqa maghna ghal tul hajjitna.

*****

Manuel Casha

4 July 2008