"Tifkira" is a new CD album which commemorates the first anniversary from the passing of Malta's top traditional singer, Frans Baldacchino popularly known as "Il-Budaj". The album will be released both in Malta and Australia and is my farewell to a friend and music colleague of twenty plus years. Frans and I teamed up from across the globe, for many projects, the last of which was the CD album "Tila" (Canvas) in 2005.

"Tila" was a concept I produced with Frans Baldacchino, after having produced and arranged backing music tracks for the popular singer who in turn used them in his various television and radio appearances.
"Tifkira" is closure to a long productive musical friendship which dates back to the early eighties. I was working on new arrangements for our second CD album except Frans "il-Budaj" died before the work could be completed.
Frans was very pleased with the previous album "Tila", but he was never one to stand still. He suggested we do another album where the music would be more acoustic to vary the sound. (The previous CD album "Tila" contained a more modern electronic sound) He also wanted to mix the ghana melodies with more melodic songs such as the one we did on "Tila" called "Maltija"

I started working on various tracks but I completed one which I sent him as a guide to what was to come. Frans immediately wrote two versions of lyrics for it and recorded them. He called one "Kif Sirna" (what we have become) and another "Manuel Casha u l-Budaj" (Manuel Casha and Budaj). He played these for me when I visited him in May 2006 while I was in Malta for a brief visit. This made me more resolute to complete this work, most of which only needed final mixing, but Frans died in mid June 2006 while I was still in Malta. The sadness and sense of loss caused me to put away this work and store it away forever. Now, as the first anniversary from Frans Baldacchino's passing approaches, I feel it can be used to remind us of one of Malta's favourite artists.

While the tracks in Tifkira were tailored for "Budaj's" voice, I replaced his voice with the sound of the guitar while his voice can be heard speaking about his philosophy on Maltese Traditional music of ghana for which he fought so hard to get recognition. The audio of his voice was taken from interviews I did with him in which he spoke in detail about his dreams, aims and life philosophy.

"Tifkira" is my final farewell to Frans "Il-Budaj" but to those who are hearing it for the first time it can also serve as an introduction to a man who did so much for the recognition Maltese G[ana music". It contains the music I was preparing for Frans 'il-Budaj" which he would have sung had the project not been cut short with his passing, but it also includes a couple of songs from our previous album "Tila".

These are "Alla Mu]ikant" and "Sa l-ahhar ng[anni" which Frans included and sang with so much feeling in his many public appearances.
With the release of "Tifkira" I intended to close a musical chapter which has existed for over two decades and which has withstood the difficulties of collaborating artistically from across two sides of the globe."
The album will be released in June on the first anniversary of Frans Baldacchino's passing.

Manuel Casha - March 2007

For more information please visit the website www.manuelcasha.com
Email: manniec@manuelcasha.com or manniec@optusnet.com.au
Or write to the address below
Manuel Casha
P.O. Box 4353, Ringwood, Victoria 3134,
Australia