M3P - User contributions [en]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2025-07-01T20:11:30Z

Steve Borg:

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsaskala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution especially with the coal-fired power stations, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing. During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country. Despite not being elected, most of his proposals are being addressed and adopted decades later.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that his intention is to produce two other albums, one featuring old Maltese music together and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place, an original collection of short stories in 2021'' ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam'' that was also shortlsted for the National Book Prize.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a twenty six-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people and research at the National Archives. The first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, was published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg's third volume is currently at the publishers and shall be out in November 2025. Meanwhile he is working steadily on the fourth and final volume of the series.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria where he studied cultural management and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. His doctorate provided new research on endangered musical genres and digital curation. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkelling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places. He is the chairperson of the Governance Board for the Inwadar National Park. He also sits on the National Archives Council.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-H9q9rXt8 Interview with Mario Xuereb on Ras Imb'Ras on TVM].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2025-07-01T20:10:10Z

Steve Borg: /* Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies */

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsaskala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution especially with the coal-fired power stations, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing. During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country. Despite not being elected, most of his proposals are being addressed and adopted decades later.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that his intention is to produce two other albums, one featuring old Maltese music together and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place, an original collection of short stories in 2021'' ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam'' that was also shortlsted for the National Book Prize.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a twenty six-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people and research at the National Archives. The first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, was published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg's third volume is currently at the publishers and shall be out in November 2025. Meanwhile he is working steadily on the fourth and final volume of the series.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria where he studied cultural management and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. His doctorate provided new research on endangered musical genres and digital curation. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkelling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places. He is the chairperson of the Governance Board for the Inwadar National Park.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-H9q9rXt8 Interview with Mario Xuereb on Ras Imb'Ras on TVM].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2024-05-20T12:30:18Z

Steve Borg: Years of research undertaken

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsascala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing.

During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that he shall only produce two other albums, one entitled ''Diwja'' together with [[Dominic Galea]] and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place, an original collection of short stories in 2021'' ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam'' that was also shortlsted for the National Book Prize.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a twenty five-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people, with the first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg is currently concluding the final volume of his trilogy, due to be published in 2024.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkeling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places.He is the chairperson of the Governance Board for the Inwadar National Park.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-H9q9rXt8 Interview with Mario Xuereb on Ras Imb'Ras on TVM].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2023-10-07T18:09:59Z

Steve Borg: /* Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies */

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsascala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing.

During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that he shall only produce two other albums, one entitled ''Diwja'' together with [[Dominic Galea]] and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place, an original collection of short stories in 2021'' ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam'' that was also shortlsted for the National Book Prize.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a fourteen-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people, with the first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg is currently concluding the final volume of his trilogy, due to be published in 2024.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkeling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places.He is the chairperson of the Governance Board for the Inwadar National Park.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-H9q9rXt8 Interview with Mario Xuereb on Ras Imb'Ras on TVM].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2020-08-06T12:25:11Z

Steve Borg: /* External Links */

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsascala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing.

During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that he shall only produce two other albums, one entitled ''Diwja'' together with [[Dominic Galea]] and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place''. He is working on several other publications in Maltese, including a forthcoming book entitled ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam''.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a fourteen-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people, with the first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg is currently researching and writing the final volume of his trilogy.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkeling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-H9q9rXt8 Interview with Mario Xuereb on Ras Imb'Ras on TVM].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2020-08-06T12:21:25Z

Steve Borg:

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsascala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing.

During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that he shall only produce two other albums, one entitled ''Diwja'' together with [[Dominic Galea]] and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

== Author of Maltese social history and oral testimonies ==

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place''. He is working on several other publications in Maltese, including a forthcoming book entitled ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam''.

Borg has also written ethnographic publications, based on a fourteen-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people, with the first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. Borg is currently researching and writing the final volume of his trilogy.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people. His passion is snorkeling and growing native trees and shrubs for eventual planting in public places.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Steve Borg (folklorist)

2020-08-06T12:17:06Z

Steve Borg: Tibdil żgħir

'''Steve Borg''' [[File:Steve Borg.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Steve Borg has done extensive fieldwork in the recovery of Maltese folk music.]] is a folklorist, Maltese language album producer and heritage researcher. He was born on the 24th of April, 1964 at the David Bruce Military Hospital in Imtarfa, and hails from [[Marsaskala]].

His paternal grandfather was Ġużeppi Borg, a school teacher from [[Bormla]] who was known for writing songs, including ''Lil Malta'', ''Karita' ma' Tfajla Għamja'' and ''Il-Fellieħi'', in Maltese.

== Environmental Activism and Cultural Awareness ==

Borg is well known for active stances in defence of the natural environment and our built heritage, the promotion of the Maltese language and the releases of Maltese music albums.

He served as secretary of the ngo Malta Heritage Trust, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, especially at Fort Rinella, the Vittoriosa underground shelters and Notre Dame Gate in the 1990s, and takes pride in having saved many historic sites from architectural degradation or demolition, especially in Kalkara, Marsascala and Sliema but also in Valletta, Birgu and Mdina, prior to the establishment of urban conservation areas. He contributed to the drafting of the Heritage Act and the Archives Act, of the Laws of Malta. He then assisted Greenpeace Mediterranean as a volunteer and activist, in issues relative to urban pollution, drag net and driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean, waste recycling and separation at source.

[[File:Edward Jones melodies.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Borg identified these Maltese melodies within the Marsden collection, at King's College London, in 1999.]]

Appointed secretary of the Friends of the National Archives, where he helped very substantially increase the Reference section in the main reading room by obtaining donations, and the Anthony Valletta ''lepideptora'' bequest to the same institution.

In 2009 he contested the European Parliament elections on behalf of the ''Partit Laburista'' and lobbied in favour of the reduction of air pollution, the protection of biodiversity, inclusive education, improved literacy levels and social housing.

During the campaign he had proposed the creation of cultural routes in Malta, to facilitate the production and access to the performing arts, and the inherent cultural mapping of the country.

== Music Production & Other Publications ==

[[File:Steve Borg b'żigarella.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Steve Borg retrieving folk music recordings in 2012.]] Borg has produced and presented three television series on National Malta Television, pioneered in world music programmes on Radju Bronja, Malta's cultural radio, having probably Malta's largest collection of world music. He was active with Politeatru's productions of works by Chekhov, O'Neill and others.

In 2000 he co-founded Malta's then leading modern folk band [[Etnika]], after having identified Malta's oldest known folk melodies at King's College University in London. Borg and Etnika won the Malta Music Award for Cultural Achievement in 2001. He featured on the 20c stamp on Maltese old traditional instruments, issued by Maltapost issued in August 2001. He has also identified a collection of old Slovenian documents, which he officially handed over to the Slovenian Archives in Ljubljana in 2005.

Borg was an anchor in the docu-film ''Etnika: in search of a Lost Voice'', shown in several film festivals around Europe in 2004 and was interviewed by several foreign broadcasting companies, including Deutsche Welle and film actor Elliott Cowan in relation to his contribution to Maltese folk music.

In 2006 he edited [[Ruben Zahra]]'s ''A guide to Maltese folk music'', that was awarded Best Production for a non-Maltese language Book in 2007 by the National Book Council. In November 2010 Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''L-Alkemista'', his translation into Maltese of Paulo Coelho's masterwork O Alquimista, which was shortlisted for Best Translation in Maltese. His translation was read by Manuel Cauchi for Radio 101 in summer of 2013.

In April 2014, the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat launched J.J. Camilleri's autobiography ''Malta li Għext Fiha'', that was edited and annotated by Borg. During his work on this publication, Borg sifted through over five thousand pages of documents, that were held by the late Camilleri, and he identified the first Maltese alphabet as formulated by the [[Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti]] and presented to the Maltese Government in 1921. It had, since then, been misplaced. All the material was presented by Borg and Camilleri's sons to the National Archives in January 2014.

In November 2014, Klabb Kotba Maltin published ''Il-Moħba'', Borg's translation in Maltese of Trezza Azzopardi's Booker Prize's shortlisted book ''The Hiding Place''. He is working on several other publications in Maltese, including a forthcoming book entitled ''Tad-Demm u l-Laħam''.

[[File:Taqbila 23.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Dominic Galea, Simone Attard, Steve Borg and Kor Mirabitur, December 2012.]] Borg managed Malta's acclaimed singer-songwriter [[Walter Micallef]] and his modern folk sextet Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb, and produced ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing) in 2003 and ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in 2007, and organized numerous gigs and concerts around Malta.

In 2009 he produced another Maltese language album, entitled ''Ommi'' (Mother), featuring [[Doreen Galea]] as vocalist, melodies by [[Dominic Galea]] and involving 14 seasoned musicians, including [[Ġorġ Puse Curmi]], [[Sammy Murgo]], [[Pawlu Borg]] and [[Walter Vella]].

In 2013 he co-produced the album ''Taqbila'' with composer Dominic Galea, which included seventeen children's songs from the pre-war period, some recovered from his fieldwork. The songs were sung by [[Kor Mirabitur]], under the direction of [[Simone Attard]] to the arrangements made by Dominic Galea.

[[File:1555329 646764415386985 31350206 n.jpg|270px|thumb|left|Addressing the guests during the launch of Corazon Mizzi's ''Hawn Jien'', University of Malta, January 2014.]] In January 2014 leading vocalist [[Corazon Mizzi]] launched her eleven-track release ''Hawn Jien'' (Here I Am) at Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, an album that was also produced by Borg. He also announced that he shall only produce two other albums, one entitled ''Diwja'' together with [[Dominic Galea]] and [[Walter Micallef]]'s third album.

== Recovering and Preserving Maltese Folk Music ==

In 2013 he brokered a very important and unique bequest made by Dr. [[Karl Partridge]] and Professor [[Frank Jeal]] concerning traditional Maltese folk instruments, including the żaqq, photographs and field material to the National Archives of Malta. This included audio recordings with the last nine żaqq folk musicians, made between 1971-1973 and the acquisition of two żaqq chanters, possible the oldest in existence.

[[File:SBP 4726.jpg|340px|thumb|right|Addressing the invitees during the bequest of Maltese folk instruments at the National Archives, May 2013.]] Borg is currently recovering other folk music material, in his quest to enhance Malta's collective memory and its dispersed intangible heritage.

He was also instrumental in identifying and recovering a substantial collection of over 500 hours of master Maltese folk singing open reel tapes from the 1960s. This is the Leli Muscat Collection, featuring over forty seven folksingers, which he purchased on behalf of the Friends of the National Archives on Easter Sunday 2013.

In the summer of 2013 he interviewed most of the active folksingers and opened nearly one hundred and fifty pages on the M3P site, making it the largest online database of Maltese ''għana''.

He has also written ethnographic publications, based on a fourteen-year research conducted through oral testimonies on the Maltese people, with the first volume entitled Il-Maltin: għemilhom, drawwiethom, ġrajjiethom: l-ewwel volum, published in 2017 by Klabb Kotba Maltin. It was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award by the National Book Council. The second volume, published in November 2018 won the Book of the Year Award. He is currently researching and writing the final volume of his trilogy.

[[File:Steve Borg interviewing Joe Vella l-Bokser August 2013.jpg|220px|thumb|left|Interviewing folksinger Joe Vella l-Bokser in Żejtun, August 2013.]]

Borg is a graduate of the University of Malta, the University of Northumbria and has acquired his PhD with the University of Hull. He was the addressee of a written message sent to the People of Malta, by Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, on the eve of a new millennium. He sits on the National Archives Council.

Borg remains committed in his quest to protect, recover and curate the threatened or dispersed heritage of the Maltese people.

==External Links==

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMVWAGGCsTg Trailer of docu-drama film Etnika: In search of a Lost Voice 2004].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oO4WKUxyc Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1kovUj_uvg Public lecture on Maltese għana, Żejtun 2011].
* [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130510/local/-aqq-to-the-future.469094 Times of Malta interview ''Żaqq to the future'' 10th May 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QC9c7T_U40 ''Taqbila'' album release feature on One News June 2013].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZ8PoW1BXk Demo of ''Hawn Jien'' album 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA3aFEVqoE8&feature=youtu.be Interview regarding Il-Moħba November 2014].
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852eoN0Bud0 Interview with Sergio Grech on Xi Qrajt dan l-Aħħar? Il-Maltin].

==See also==
[[:Category:Steve Borg Photos]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borg, Steve}}

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Born in 1964]]
[[Category:Folk Music Promoters]]

Tigne Chapel

2011-05-29T20:57:30Z

Steve Borg:

Ċentru Ħin Ħieles formerly known as the St.Luke's Garrison Chapel (Church of England), Tigne. Sliema.
This is the actual and historical name of this delightful little chapel which hosted some meetings of the Assoċjazzjoni Sportiva Tigne, cultural events and Rock Concerts, in the 1980's and Ballroom Dancing in the early 90's.
The following is a history of this Church that shall celebrate 100 years on the 27th November of this year.

BEGINNING
The need for a place of worship (Church of England) at the area known as Tigne, Sliema was being strongly felt in the beginning of the last century as the community around Tigne and in the Fort Tigne was getting larger and larger.
Plans were made by Lieut-Colonel Hemming, Royal Engineers and a draughtsman Mr.Collins from the Office of the Chief Royal Engineers for the building of a Church to meet the spiritual needs of the large community coming from servicemen and residents.

A CHURCH IS BUILT
The building started when the then Governor of Malta, Sir Leslie Rundle laid the first foundation stone on the 16th of January 1910. The Church was built and was open for service some months later on Advent Sunday 27th November of the same year. The dedication was by the bishop of Gibraltar, the Right Reverend William Edward Collins.
The first religious service was officiated to the congregation with the Governor of Malta, Sir Leslie Rundle, present.
The Church was paid for by private and public donations.
Entrance to the Church was three doors situated on the North, West and South sides of the Church, surrounded by a splendid garden and railings.
Now this Church could offer full service to the military personal and the surrounding areas as it was planned to host 400 worshippers.
The first Chaplin to serve inside the Church was Reverend Douglas Percy.

FEATURES AND ADDITIONS
Inside the Church one could find a chancel, two aisles, nave, an organ site and vestry. The focal point of the stone altar was a triple chancel with Corinthian capitalised style pillars, artistically carved by Corporal Sheppard R.E., forming three panels. A stone altar rail decorated with Maltese crosses with the chancel floor finished off with red tiles and white marble steps.
It was a small but a beautiful Church tastefully designed for all worshippers which included the wealthy Hughes-Hallet family as they used to live in the Tigne area. Now, one can find a street in Tigne, named after the Hughes-Hallets.
The bell tower, west porch and roof decorations were completed a bit later.
In March of the following year a stone memorial pulpit was erected in memory of the service personnel who died in Malta. This was a gift from the NCOs’ and men of the 65 Company, Royal Artillery.
In September of the same year, an organ was added to the St. Luke’s Garrison Church. This organ was made by the Positive Organ Company of London. The whole assembly of this organ was under the hands of Staff Sergeant Thomas of the Royal Naval Engineers.
Further additions to the Church were a font-in memory of John Henry Locke Jones who died on 17th May 1912 (provided by Captain H.H.H. Jones) and a large brass 24” cross presented to the Church in memory of Colonel H.T. Hughes Hallett.

FURTHER ADDITIONS
The Hughes Hallet family were to provide another addition to this Church. It was recorded in 1929, that a beautiful set of silver Communion vessels (a chalice and a paten) were presented in memory of Miss Mary Francis Hughes Hallett-who was very much interested in the total welfare of the Tigne Garrison. As a reciprocal memento in honour of this very generous lady, a brass memorial cross was erected that stood together with the same patterned cross in memory of her two brothers, the Admiral and the Colonel Hughes Hallet.
Another cross was presented to the Church in memory of a hero, the 21 year old Gunner Sydney Ernest Picton who jumped into the sea and tried in vain to save a lady who fell into it in the Qui-Si-Sana area.. This cross was given to the Church by his comrade of the Royal Artillery.

CHANGES, ACTIVITIES AND WORLD WAR 11
The strong wintery ice cold North East Gregale (referred to the Greek island of Zakynthos) was causing discomfort for the congregation in 1931 and it was decided to erect a porch in order to lessen this nasty and dangerous Mediterranean wind. Together with this porch, the old chairs were replaced by new pews. Payment for this came from donations by the congregation.
By 1936, this Church became a hub of activities with the Sunday Schools,
The Mothers Union and other groups. It also became a point of respite and help for the distressed and distraught.
In World War 11, the St.Luke’s Garrison Church was hit badly and was declared unsafe, so the congregation had to attended the Holy Trinity Church in Rudolph Street, Sliema for divine worship.

[[Category:Music venues in Malta]]

Walter Micallef

2011-05-29T20:45:48Z

Steve Borg: /* Childhood */

'''Walter Micallef''' (born 24 October 1955) is a leading Maltese singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of [[Birkirkara]]. He has composed well over a hundred songs, nearly all in Maltese.

==Childhood==
He spent his childhood in [[Birkirkara]], [[Malta]]'s largest town, at a time when his family home was requisitioned by the state to make way for a public convenience. Like other Maltese boys of the age, he revelled in driving around the island and on visiting the neighbouring islands of [[Gozo]] and [[Comino]]. Three of his earlier songs, all still unreleased, are ''Ġewwa Marsalforn'' (In [[Marsalforn]]), ''Erġajt Sejjer Marsalforn'' (Going back to [[Marsalforn]]) and ''Xagħar Iswed'' (Black Hair).

The first two are both played on the [[reggae]] beat and have only been performed in [[Valletta]] in 2004 and in [[Xewkija]] [[Gozo]] in 2005. The track ''Xagħar Iswed'', written when Micallef was only seventeen, bears witness that the artiste was always romantically inclined and recurring phrases in his lyrics still comment on the beauty he admires in simplicity. A literal translation of a stanza taken from ''Xagħar Iswed'', written in 1972, goes as:

''Black and wavy hair, beautiful lips, mellow smile, it's our love that I seek, I admire her and she knows all this.''

It is thought that these three songs may feature in his forthcoming third album, expected to be released in 2013.

==Musical Influences==
He has cited the Italian [[Giorgio Gaber]], [[Gino Paoli]] and American [[Jim Croce]] and [[James Taylor]] as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played [[Cat Stevens]] songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery [[Bruce Cockburn]] spirit in him and the [[Lou Reed]] cynicism in his lyrics. ''Lil Malta'' may after all be his equal to Reed's [[Last Great American Whale]].

Micallef has maintained that as a Maltese counterpart he mentions [[Manwel Mifsud]], unfortunately barely known in the musical field. [[Graziana Axisa]] has played as a supporting act in a major [[Marsascala]] concert in 2006. Axisa has also sung Micallef's song ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' in the 2005 Għanja Tal-Poplu festival, placing a creditable second.

Artistic works in Maltese are minimal since there is no national strategy to assist or promote performers singing in their mother tongue. European Union funds are hard to acquire considering that Maltese is an official EU language, and not a minority one. Micallef has lamented about this shortcoming many times <ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364 Fading Notes], ''The Malta Independent'', 22 August 2005</ref>.

==Musical career==
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the ''Għanja tal-Poplu'' festival, founded by the Youth Travel Circle in 1973, several times. In 1979 he won with ''Ġuvni'' (Young Man), followed with success in 1992 with ''Iż-Żmien'' (Time) and in 1994 with ''In-Nofsinhar'' (The South). He has also won best lyrics in 1994 with ''Le'' (No), in 1999 with ''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina'' (My friend in the Cupboard), in 2005 with ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' (For the Little One) and in 2006 with ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta).

Writing in Malta Today on 23 March 2001, critic Miriam Dunn remarks that "listening to the intelligent usage he makes of the Maltese language in his work, it is difficult to imagine that some years back, Walter made a conscious decision to switch his songwriting from the English language"<ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0323/people.html Words with Meaning], ''Malta Today'', 23 March 2001.</ref>.

Although he had been around since 1973, it was in February 2003 that he released his first album, after a chance meeting with [[Radio Malta]] world music presenter [[Steve Borg]]. The first album was entitled ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing). Already considered as a classic release, it contains fifteen tracks written between 1981 and 2001. ''Awwissu'' (August) remains his most popular track from this album, and has even been used, albeit to his surprise, as an advert for an air-conditioning brand on Maltese television. He has lamented that his lyrics have, at times, had a lukewarm reception by the Maltese public, perhaps due to the islanders' inbred conservative upbringing and years of political polarisation.

With Maltese society opening up to self-appraisal and criticism, he has been embraced by a growing band of devotees who follow him to all his venues. He has given memorable concerts at [[The Labyrinth]] in [[Valletta]], The Beachclub in [[Marsascala]], The George in [[Bugibba]] and [[Marsalforn]] Sajf in [[Gozo]].

On the 18 March 2004 he launched his [[Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb]] band, including [[Etnika]]'s double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the [[UNESCO]] Suisse charity event One World Beat [http://www.oneworldbeat.org/pages/eventDetail.php?eventId=68]. This was followed by four concerts in July 2004 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in [[Valletta]], featuring his sextet.

He has also made appearances on German television stations [[ZDF]] and [[Bayerisches Fernsehen]] and on several regional French stations. He is regularly played on Maltese radio stations and on ethnic Maltese radio programmes in Australia.

Micallef was shortlisted for Best Male Artist in 2004 for the [[Malta Music Awards]], and has continued to win acclaim and awards for his prowess in writing Maltese lyrics complimented by original melodies. He was awarded the [[Julian Manduca]] Cultural Award <ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf]</ref> in July 2006 at [[Gianpula]] in [[Rabat]] for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.

On the 23rd of March 2007 he released his second album, ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in front of a packed house at the Powerhouse Theatre [http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=273321&pid=67], [[Valletta Waterfront]] in [[Floriana]].<ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852 Music Matters], ''The Malta Independent'', 1 April 2007.</ref> His modern folk [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef] sextet includes [[WOMAD]] performer [[Renzo Spiteri]] on percussion, [[Eric Wadge]] on bass, [[Pawlu "l-Bibi" Camilleri]] on harmonica, [[Albert Garzia]][http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/] on accordion and piano and [[Jes Psaila]] on acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars. ''Ħamsin'' includes twelve tracks, with thematic content ranging from romantic songs such as ''Wara l-Ħajt'' (Behind the Wall) and ''Min Hi?'' (Who is She?) to pro-environmental songs like ''L-Aħħar Sekondi'' (The Final Seconds) and ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta). The musical arrangements are by [[Renzo Spiteri]]. '''Lil Malta''' is fast becoming Malta's environmental battlecry against building speculation in an erstwhile over-built island state.

On 6 May 2007 the album was on top of the [[D'Amato Music]] Best 20 Malta hit parade. Unlike many Maltese musicians, Walter Micallef does not have his hotel spot as an entertainer. He is after all, a performer and as such the requests he accedes to are those pertaining to his vast repertoire. He prefers to play live and avoids playback.

In 2009 Micallef, together with [[Corazon Mizzi]], won the Għanja tal-Poplu festival again with the song Tal-Aħħar. He is also currently rehearsing on performing some of his Maltese songs with the Cosmos Wind Quintet featuring guitar, bassoon, flute, clarinet and oboe.

==Songs==
*''Willie'' (1970)
*''Xagħar Iswed'' (1972)
*''Ma tħobbnix''
*''Lil Hilary''
*''Simpatija u Ħniena''
*''Ħmistax''
*''Ġewwa Marsalforn''
*''Inħobbok'' (1974)
*''5 t'Ottubru 1977'' (1977)
*''Ħrafa u Ereżija'' (1978)
*''Ġuvni'' (1979)
*''Ġebla Niexfa''
*''L-istorja ta' Dej''
*''Mqar''
*''Il-party''
*''Inċedi''
*''Inħobbok'' (oħra)
*''Ma Temminnix'' (1980)
*''In-Nofsinhar'' (1981)
*''Lil Dil-Povra Kreatura'' (1982)
*''M'Jien Xejn'' (1988)
*''L-Aħħar Sekondi''
*''Iż-Żmien'' (1993)
*''Le'' (1994)
*''Tihom Widen'' (1995)
*''Awwissu'' (1996)
*''Blues'' (1997)
*''L-F.M.''
*''Dan l-Aħħar'' (1998)
*''Kif Deherli Jien''
*''Gianni'' (1999)
*''Żgħira''
*''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina''
*''San Blas waqt il-Programm'' (2000)
*''Nemmen''
*''Elfejn u Għoxrin'' (2001)
*''Il-Kejl''
*''Wara l-Ħajt'' (2002)
*''Kelba, qattusa u kanarin''
*''Ħajja tan-Nejk''
*''Ċirku''
*''Il-Fjamma''
*''Ċanfira''
*''Ħażin'' (2004)
*''Tard wisq''
*''Qiegħ il-flixkun''
*''Ħelu u tal-Ġenn'' (2005)
*''Min Hi?''
*''Għaċ-Ċkejkna''
*''Pino''
*'''Il Fuq''
*''Lil Malta'' (2006)
*''Ir-Rebbiegħa'' (2007)
*''Ħielsa'' (2007)
*''Bix-Xemx Warajja (2008)
*''Tal-Aħħar (2009)

==References==
<references />

==Other references==
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=782 The Chords of Justice, Times of Malta, 18 Jan 2003.]
* [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/02/16/tw/index.html The Third Degree with Walter Micallef, Malta Today, 16 Feb 2003.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2462 One World Beat preview, Times of Malta, 13 March 2004.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2912 Up Close to Walter Micallef, St. James Cavalier Concerts preview, Times of Malta, 3 July 2004.] - online text no longer available
* [http://adriangrima.250free.com/hamsin_kumment_ag.pdf Kull Buffura Riħ, 23 Marzu 2007.]
* [http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=49773 Everyday songs, The Malta Independent, 21 April 2007.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcv8EeoKWgI&feature=related]Tal-Aħħar duet with [[Corazon Mizzi]].

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.waltermicallef.com Official website]
* [http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html L-Għanja tal-Poplu]
* [http://www.renzospiteri.com/waltmic.html Renzo Spiteri official website]

[[Category:Maltese singer-songwriters]]

Walter Micallef

2011-05-29T20:44:48Z

Steve Borg: /* Other references */

'''Walter Micallef''' (born 24 October 1955) is a leading Maltese singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of [[Birkirkara]]. He has composed well over a hundred songs, nearly all in Maltese.

==Childhood==
He spent his childhood in [[Birkirkara]], [[Malta]]'s largest town, at a time when his family home was requisitioned by the state to make way for a public convenience. Like other Maltese boys of the age, he revelled in driving around the island and on visiting the neighbouring islands of [[Gozo]] and [[Comino]]. Three of his earlier songs, all still unreleased, are ''Ġewwa Marsalforn'' (In [[Marsalforn]]), ''Erġajt Sejjer Marsalforn'' (Going back to [[Marsalforn]]) and ''Xagħar Iswed'' (Black Hair).

The first two are both played on the [[reggae]] beat and have only been performed in [[Valletta]] in 2004 and in [[Xewkija]] [[Gozo]] in 2005. The track ''Xagħar Iswed'', written when Micallef was only seventeen, bears witness that the artiste was always romantically inclined and recurring phrases in his lyrics still comment on the beauty he admires in simplicity. A literal translation of a stanza taken from ''Xagħar Iswed'', written in 1972, goes as:

''Black and wavy hair, beautiful lips, mellow smile, it's our love that I seek, I admire her and she knows all this.''

It is thought that these three songs may feature in his forthcoming third album, expected to be released in 2009.

==Musical Influences==
He has cited the Italian [[Giorgio Gaber]], [[Gino Paoli]] and American [[Jim Croce]] and [[James Taylor]] as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played [[Cat Stevens]] songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery [[Bruce Cockburn]] spirit in him and the [[Lou Reed]] cynicism in his lyrics. ''Lil Malta'' may after all be his equal to Reed's [[Last Great American Whale]].

Micallef has maintained that as a Maltese counterpart he mentions [[Manwel Mifsud]], unfortunately barely known in the musical field. [[Graziana Axisa]] has played as a supporting act in a major [[Marsascala]] concert in 2006. Axisa has also sung Micallef's song ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' in the 2005 Għanja Tal-Poplu festival, placing a creditable second.

Artistic works in Maltese are minimal since there is no national strategy to assist or promote performers singing in their mother tongue. European Union funds are hard to acquire considering that Maltese is an official EU language, and not a minority one. Micallef has lamented about this shortcoming many times <ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364 Fading Notes], ''The Malta Independent'', 22 August 2005</ref>.

==Musical career==
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the ''Għanja tal-Poplu'' festival, founded by the Youth Travel Circle in 1973, several times. In 1979 he won with ''Ġuvni'' (Young Man), followed with success in 1992 with ''Iż-Żmien'' (Time) and in 1994 with ''In-Nofsinhar'' (The South). He has also won best lyrics in 1994 with ''Le'' (No), in 1999 with ''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina'' (My friend in the Cupboard), in 2005 with ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' (For the Little One) and in 2006 with ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta).

Writing in Malta Today on 23 March 2001, critic Miriam Dunn remarks that "listening to the intelligent usage he makes of the Maltese language in his work, it is difficult to imagine that some years back, Walter made a conscious decision to switch his songwriting from the English language"<ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0323/people.html Words with Meaning], ''Malta Today'', 23 March 2001.</ref>.

Although he had been around since 1973, it was in February 2003 that he released his first album, after a chance meeting with [[Radio Malta]] world music presenter [[Steve Borg]]. The first album was entitled ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing). Already considered as a classic release, it contains fifteen tracks written between 1981 and 2001. ''Awwissu'' (August) remains his most popular track from this album, and has even been used, albeit to his surprise, as an advert for an air-conditioning brand on Maltese television. He has lamented that his lyrics have, at times, had a lukewarm reception by the Maltese public, perhaps due to the islanders' inbred conservative upbringing and years of political polarisation.

With Maltese society opening up to self-appraisal and criticism, he has been embraced by a growing band of devotees who follow him to all his venues. He has given memorable concerts at [[The Labyrinth]] in [[Valletta]], The Beachclub in [[Marsascala]], The George in [[Bugibba]] and [[Marsalforn]] Sajf in [[Gozo]].

On the 18 March 2004 he launched his [[Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb]] band, including [[Etnika]]'s double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the [[UNESCO]] Suisse charity event One World Beat [http://www.oneworldbeat.org/pages/eventDetail.php?eventId=68]. This was followed by four concerts in July 2004 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in [[Valletta]], featuring his sextet.

He has also made appearances on German television stations [[ZDF]] and [[Bayerisches Fernsehen]] and on several regional French stations. He is regularly played on Maltese radio stations and on ethnic Maltese radio programmes in Australia.

Micallef was shortlisted for Best Male Artist in 2004 for the [[Malta Music Awards]], and has continued to win acclaim and awards for his prowess in writing Maltese lyrics complimented by original melodies. He was awarded the [[Julian Manduca]] Cultural Award <ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf]</ref> in July 2006 at [[Gianpula]] in [[Rabat]] for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.

On the 23rd of March 2007 he released his second album, ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in front of a packed house at the Powerhouse Theatre [http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=273321&pid=67], [[Valletta Waterfront]] in [[Floriana]].<ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852 Music Matters], ''The Malta Independent'', 1 April 2007.</ref> His modern folk [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef] sextet includes [[WOMAD]] performer [[Renzo Spiteri]] on percussion, [[Eric Wadge]] on bass, [[Pawlu "l-Bibi" Camilleri]] on harmonica, [[Albert Garzia]][http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/] on accordion and piano and [[Jes Psaila]] on acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars. ''Ħamsin'' includes twelve tracks, with thematic content ranging from romantic songs such as ''Wara l-Ħajt'' (Behind the Wall) and ''Min Hi?'' (Who is She?) to pro-environmental songs like ''L-Aħħar Sekondi'' (The Final Seconds) and ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta). The musical arrangements are by [[Renzo Spiteri]]. '''Lil Malta''' is fast becoming Malta's environmental battlecry against building speculation in an erstwhile over-built island state.

On 6 May 2007 the album was on top of the [[D'Amato Music]] Best 20 Malta hit parade. Unlike many Maltese musicians, Walter Micallef does not have his hotel spot as an entertainer. He is after all, a performer and as such the requests he accedes to are those pertaining to his vast repertoire. He prefers to play live and avoids playback.

In 2009 Micallef, together with [[Corazon Mizzi]], won the Għanja tal-Poplu festival again with the song Tal-Aħħar. He is also currently rehearsing on performing some of his Maltese songs with the Cosmos Wind Quintet featuring guitar, bassoon, flute, clarinet and oboe.

==Songs==
*''Willie'' (1970)
*''Xagħar Iswed'' (1972)
*''Ma tħobbnix''
*''Lil Hilary''
*''Simpatija u Ħniena''
*''Ħmistax''
*''Ġewwa Marsalforn''
*''Inħobbok'' (1974)
*''5 t'Ottubru 1977'' (1977)
*''Ħrafa u Ereżija'' (1978)
*''Ġuvni'' (1979)
*''Ġebla Niexfa''
*''L-istorja ta' Dej''
*''Mqar''
*''Il-party''
*''Inċedi''
*''Inħobbok'' (oħra)
*''Ma Temminnix'' (1980)
*''In-Nofsinhar'' (1981)
*''Lil Dil-Povra Kreatura'' (1982)
*''M'Jien Xejn'' (1988)
*''L-Aħħar Sekondi''
*''Iż-Żmien'' (1993)
*''Le'' (1994)
*''Tihom Widen'' (1995)
*''Awwissu'' (1996)
*''Blues'' (1997)
*''L-F.M.''
*''Dan l-Aħħar'' (1998)
*''Kif Deherli Jien''
*''Gianni'' (1999)
*''Żgħira''
*''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina''
*''San Blas waqt il-Programm'' (2000)
*''Nemmen''
*''Elfejn u Għoxrin'' (2001)
*''Il-Kejl''
*''Wara l-Ħajt'' (2002)
*''Kelba, qattusa u kanarin''
*''Ħajja tan-Nejk''
*''Ċirku''
*''Il-Fjamma''
*''Ċanfira''
*''Ħażin'' (2004)
*''Tard wisq''
*''Qiegħ il-flixkun''
*''Ħelu u tal-Ġenn'' (2005)
*''Min Hi?''
*''Għaċ-Ċkejkna''
*''Pino''
*'''Il Fuq''
*''Lil Malta'' (2006)
*''Ir-Rebbiegħa'' (2007)
*''Ħielsa'' (2007)
*''Bix-Xemx Warajja (2008)
*''Tal-Aħħar (2009)

==References==
<references />

==Other references==
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=782 The Chords of Justice, Times of Malta, 18 Jan 2003.]
* [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/02/16/tw/index.html The Third Degree with Walter Micallef, Malta Today, 16 Feb 2003.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2462 One World Beat preview, Times of Malta, 13 March 2004.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2912 Up Close to Walter Micallef, St. James Cavalier Concerts preview, Times of Malta, 3 July 2004.] - online text no longer available
* [http://adriangrima.250free.com/hamsin_kumment_ag.pdf Kull Buffura Riħ, 23 Marzu 2007.]
* [http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=49773 Everyday songs, The Malta Independent, 21 April 2007.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcv8EeoKWgI&feature=related]Tal-Aħħar duet with [[Corazon Mizzi]].

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.waltermicallef.com Official website]
* [http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html L-Għanja tal-Poplu]
* [http://www.renzospiteri.com/waltmic.html Renzo Spiteri official website]

[[Category:Maltese singer-songwriters]]

Walter Micallef

2011-05-29T20:41:58Z

Steve Borg: /* Songs */

'''Walter Micallef''' (born 24 October 1955) is a leading Maltese singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of [[Birkirkara]]. He has composed well over a hundred songs, nearly all in Maltese.

==Childhood==
He spent his childhood in [[Birkirkara]], [[Malta]]'s largest town, at a time when his family home was requisitioned by the state to make way for a public convenience. Like other Maltese boys of the age, he revelled in driving around the island and on visiting the neighbouring islands of [[Gozo]] and [[Comino]]. Three of his earlier songs, all still unreleased, are ''Ġewwa Marsalforn'' (In [[Marsalforn]]), ''Erġajt Sejjer Marsalforn'' (Going back to [[Marsalforn]]) and ''Xagħar Iswed'' (Black Hair).

The first two are both played on the [[reggae]] beat and have only been performed in [[Valletta]] in 2004 and in [[Xewkija]] [[Gozo]] in 2005. The track ''Xagħar Iswed'', written when Micallef was only seventeen, bears witness that the artiste was always romantically inclined and recurring phrases in his lyrics still comment on the beauty he admires in simplicity. A literal translation of a stanza taken from ''Xagħar Iswed'', written in 1972, goes as:

''Black and wavy hair, beautiful lips, mellow smile, it's our love that I seek, I admire her and she knows all this.''

It is thought that these three songs may feature in his forthcoming third album, expected to be released in 2009.

==Musical Influences==
He has cited the Italian [[Giorgio Gaber]], [[Gino Paoli]] and American [[Jim Croce]] and [[James Taylor]] as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played [[Cat Stevens]] songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery [[Bruce Cockburn]] spirit in him and the [[Lou Reed]] cynicism in his lyrics. ''Lil Malta'' may after all be his equal to Reed's [[Last Great American Whale]].

Micallef has maintained that as a Maltese counterpart he mentions [[Manwel Mifsud]], unfortunately barely known in the musical field. [[Graziana Axisa]] has played as a supporting act in a major [[Marsascala]] concert in 2006. Axisa has also sung Micallef's song ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' in the 2005 Għanja Tal-Poplu festival, placing a creditable second.

Artistic works in Maltese are minimal since there is no national strategy to assist or promote performers singing in their mother tongue. European Union funds are hard to acquire considering that Maltese is an official EU language, and not a minority one. Micallef has lamented about this shortcoming many times <ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364 Fading Notes], ''The Malta Independent'', 22 August 2005</ref>.

==Musical career==
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the ''Għanja tal-Poplu'' festival, founded by the Youth Travel Circle in 1973, several times. In 1979 he won with ''Ġuvni'' (Young Man), followed with success in 1992 with ''Iż-Żmien'' (Time) and in 1994 with ''In-Nofsinhar'' (The South). He has also won best lyrics in 1994 with ''Le'' (No), in 1999 with ''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina'' (My friend in the Cupboard), in 2005 with ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' (For the Little One) and in 2006 with ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta).

Writing in Malta Today on 23 March 2001, critic Miriam Dunn remarks that "listening to the intelligent usage he makes of the Maltese language in his work, it is difficult to imagine that some years back, Walter made a conscious decision to switch his songwriting from the English language"<ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0323/people.html Words with Meaning], ''Malta Today'', 23 March 2001.</ref>.

Although he had been around since 1973, it was in February 2003 that he released his first album, after a chance meeting with [[Radio Malta]] world music presenter [[Steve Borg]]. The first album was entitled ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing). Already considered as a classic release, it contains fifteen tracks written between 1981 and 2001. ''Awwissu'' (August) remains his most popular track from this album, and has even been used, albeit to his surprise, as an advert for an air-conditioning brand on Maltese television. He has lamented that his lyrics have, at times, had a lukewarm reception by the Maltese public, perhaps due to the islanders' inbred conservative upbringing and years of political polarisation.

With Maltese society opening up to self-appraisal and criticism, he has been embraced by a growing band of devotees who follow him to all his venues. He has given memorable concerts at [[The Labyrinth]] in [[Valletta]], The Beachclub in [[Marsascala]], The George in [[Bugibba]] and [[Marsalforn]] Sajf in [[Gozo]].

On the 18 March 2004 he launched his [[Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb]] band, including [[Etnika]]'s double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the [[UNESCO]] Suisse charity event One World Beat [http://www.oneworldbeat.org/pages/eventDetail.php?eventId=68]. This was followed by four concerts in July 2004 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in [[Valletta]], featuring his sextet.

He has also made appearances on German television stations [[ZDF]] and [[Bayerisches Fernsehen]] and on several regional French stations. He is regularly played on Maltese radio stations and on ethnic Maltese radio programmes in Australia.

Micallef was shortlisted for Best Male Artist in 2004 for the [[Malta Music Awards]], and has continued to win acclaim and awards for his prowess in writing Maltese lyrics complimented by original melodies. He was awarded the [[Julian Manduca]] Cultural Award <ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf]</ref> in July 2006 at [[Gianpula]] in [[Rabat]] for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.

On the 23rd of March 2007 he released his second album, ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in front of a packed house at the Powerhouse Theatre [http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=273321&pid=67], [[Valletta Waterfront]] in [[Floriana]].<ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852 Music Matters], ''The Malta Independent'', 1 April 2007.</ref> His modern folk [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef] sextet includes [[WOMAD]] performer [[Renzo Spiteri]] on percussion, [[Eric Wadge]] on bass, [[Pawlu "l-Bibi" Camilleri]] on harmonica, [[Albert Garzia]][http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/] on accordion and piano and [[Jes Psaila]] on acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars. ''Ħamsin'' includes twelve tracks, with thematic content ranging from romantic songs such as ''Wara l-Ħajt'' (Behind the Wall) and ''Min Hi?'' (Who is She?) to pro-environmental songs like ''L-Aħħar Sekondi'' (The Final Seconds) and ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta). The musical arrangements are by [[Renzo Spiteri]]. '''Lil Malta''' is fast becoming Malta's environmental battlecry against building speculation in an erstwhile over-built island state.

On 6 May 2007 the album was on top of the [[D'Amato Music]] Best 20 Malta hit parade. Unlike many Maltese musicians, Walter Micallef does not have his hotel spot as an entertainer. He is after all, a performer and as such the requests he accedes to are those pertaining to his vast repertoire. He prefers to play live and avoids playback.

In 2009 Micallef, together with [[Corazon Mizzi]], won the Għanja tal-Poplu festival again with the song Tal-Aħħar. He is also currently rehearsing on performing some of his Maltese songs with the Cosmos Wind Quintet featuring guitar, bassoon, flute, clarinet and oboe.

==Songs==
*''Willie'' (1970)
*''Xagħar Iswed'' (1972)
*''Ma tħobbnix''
*''Lil Hilary''
*''Simpatija u Ħniena''
*''Ħmistax''
*''Ġewwa Marsalforn''
*''Inħobbok'' (1974)
*''5 t'Ottubru 1977'' (1977)
*''Ħrafa u Ereżija'' (1978)
*''Ġuvni'' (1979)
*''Ġebla Niexfa''
*''L-istorja ta' Dej''
*''Mqar''
*''Il-party''
*''Inċedi''
*''Inħobbok'' (oħra)
*''Ma Temminnix'' (1980)
*''In-Nofsinhar'' (1981)
*''Lil Dil-Povra Kreatura'' (1982)
*''M'Jien Xejn'' (1988)
*''L-Aħħar Sekondi''
*''Iż-Żmien'' (1993)
*''Le'' (1994)
*''Tihom Widen'' (1995)
*''Awwissu'' (1996)
*''Blues'' (1997)
*''L-F.M.''
*''Dan l-Aħħar'' (1998)
*''Kif Deherli Jien''
*''Gianni'' (1999)
*''Żgħira''
*''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina''
*''San Blas waqt il-Programm'' (2000)
*''Nemmen''
*''Elfejn u Għoxrin'' (2001)
*''Il-Kejl''
*''Wara l-Ħajt'' (2002)
*''Kelba, qattusa u kanarin''
*''Ħajja tan-Nejk''
*''Ċirku''
*''Il-Fjamma''
*''Ċanfira''
*''Ħażin'' (2004)
*''Tard wisq''
*''Qiegħ il-flixkun''
*''Ħelu u tal-Ġenn'' (2005)
*''Min Hi?''
*''Għaċ-Ċkejkna''
*''Pino''
*'''Il Fuq''
*''Lil Malta'' (2006)
*''Ir-Rebbiegħa'' (2007)
*''Ħielsa'' (2007)
*''Bix-Xemx Warajja (2008)
*''Tal-Aħħar (2009)

==References==
<references />

==Other references==
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=782 The Chords of Justice, Times of Malta, 18 Jan 2003.]
* [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/02/16/tw/index.html The Third Degree with Walter Micallef, Malta Today, 16 Feb 2003.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2462 One World Beat preview, Times of Malta, 13 March 2004.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2912 Up Close to Walter Micallef, St. James Cavalier Concerts preview, Times of Malta, 3 July 2004.] - online text no longer available
* [http://adriangrima.250free.com/hamsin_kumment_ag.pdf Kull Buffura Riħ, 23 Marzu 2007.]
* [http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=49773 Everyday songs, The Malta Independent, 21 April 2007.]

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.waltermicallef.com Official website]
* [http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html L-Għanja tal-Poplu]
* [http://www.renzospiteri.com/waltmic.html Renzo Spiteri official website]

[[Category:Maltese singer-songwriters]]

Walter Micallef

2011-05-29T20:40:42Z

Steve Borg: /* Musical career */

'''Walter Micallef''' (born 24 October 1955) is a leading Maltese singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of [[Birkirkara]]. He has composed well over a hundred songs, nearly all in Maltese.

==Childhood==
He spent his childhood in [[Birkirkara]], [[Malta]]'s largest town, at a time when his family home was requisitioned by the state to make way for a public convenience. Like other Maltese boys of the age, he revelled in driving around the island and on visiting the neighbouring islands of [[Gozo]] and [[Comino]]. Three of his earlier songs, all still unreleased, are ''Ġewwa Marsalforn'' (In [[Marsalforn]]), ''Erġajt Sejjer Marsalforn'' (Going back to [[Marsalforn]]) and ''Xagħar Iswed'' (Black Hair).

The first two are both played on the [[reggae]] beat and have only been performed in [[Valletta]] in 2004 and in [[Xewkija]] [[Gozo]] in 2005. The track ''Xagħar Iswed'', written when Micallef was only seventeen, bears witness that the artiste was always romantically inclined and recurring phrases in his lyrics still comment on the beauty he admires in simplicity. A literal translation of a stanza taken from ''Xagħar Iswed'', written in 1972, goes as:

''Black and wavy hair, beautiful lips, mellow smile, it's our love that I seek, I admire her and she knows all this.''

It is thought that these three songs may feature in his forthcoming third album, expected to be released in 2009.

==Musical Influences==
He has cited the Italian [[Giorgio Gaber]], [[Gino Paoli]] and American [[Jim Croce]] and [[James Taylor]] as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played [[Cat Stevens]] songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery [[Bruce Cockburn]] spirit in him and the [[Lou Reed]] cynicism in his lyrics. ''Lil Malta'' may after all be his equal to Reed's [[Last Great American Whale]].

Micallef has maintained that as a Maltese counterpart he mentions [[Manwel Mifsud]], unfortunately barely known in the musical field. [[Graziana Axisa]] has played as a supporting act in a major [[Marsascala]] concert in 2006. Axisa has also sung Micallef's song ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' in the 2005 Għanja Tal-Poplu festival, placing a creditable second.

Artistic works in Maltese are minimal since there is no national strategy to assist or promote performers singing in their mother tongue. European Union funds are hard to acquire considering that Maltese is an official EU language, and not a minority one. Micallef has lamented about this shortcoming many times <ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364 Fading Notes], ''The Malta Independent'', 22 August 2005</ref>.

==Musical career==
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the ''Għanja tal-Poplu'' festival, founded by the Youth Travel Circle in 1973, several times. In 1979 he won with ''Ġuvni'' (Young Man), followed with success in 1992 with ''Iż-Żmien'' (Time) and in 1994 with ''In-Nofsinhar'' (The South). He has also won best lyrics in 1994 with ''Le'' (No), in 1999 with ''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina'' (My friend in the Cupboard), in 2005 with ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' (For the Little One) and in 2006 with ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta).

Writing in Malta Today on 23 March 2001, critic Miriam Dunn remarks that "listening to the intelligent usage he makes of the Maltese language in his work, it is difficult to imagine that some years back, Walter made a conscious decision to switch his songwriting from the English language"<ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0323/people.html Words with Meaning], ''Malta Today'', 23 March 2001.</ref>.

Although he had been around since 1973, it was in February 2003 that he released his first album, after a chance meeting with [[Radio Malta]] world music presenter [[Steve Borg]]. The first album was entitled ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing). Already considered as a classic release, it contains fifteen tracks written between 1981 and 2001. ''Awwissu'' (August) remains his most popular track from this album, and has even been used, albeit to his surprise, as an advert for an air-conditioning brand on Maltese television. He has lamented that his lyrics have, at times, had a lukewarm reception by the Maltese public, perhaps due to the islanders' inbred conservative upbringing and years of political polarisation.

With Maltese society opening up to self-appraisal and criticism, he has been embraced by a growing band of devotees who follow him to all his venues. He has given memorable concerts at [[The Labyrinth]] in [[Valletta]], The Beachclub in [[Marsascala]], The George in [[Bugibba]] and [[Marsalforn]] Sajf in [[Gozo]].

On the 18 March 2004 he launched his [[Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb]] band, including [[Etnika]]'s double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the [[UNESCO]] Suisse charity event One World Beat [http://www.oneworldbeat.org/pages/eventDetail.php?eventId=68]. This was followed by four concerts in July 2004 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in [[Valletta]], featuring his sextet.

He has also made appearances on German television stations [[ZDF]] and [[Bayerisches Fernsehen]] and on several regional French stations. He is regularly played on Maltese radio stations and on ethnic Maltese radio programmes in Australia.

Micallef was shortlisted for Best Male Artist in 2004 for the [[Malta Music Awards]], and has continued to win acclaim and awards for his prowess in writing Maltese lyrics complimented by original melodies. He was awarded the [[Julian Manduca]] Cultural Award <ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf]</ref> in July 2006 at [[Gianpula]] in [[Rabat]] for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.

On the 23rd of March 2007 he released his second album, ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in front of a packed house at the Powerhouse Theatre [http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=273321&pid=67], [[Valletta Waterfront]] in [[Floriana]].<ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852 Music Matters], ''The Malta Independent'', 1 April 2007.</ref> His modern folk [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef] sextet includes [[WOMAD]] performer [[Renzo Spiteri]] on percussion, [[Eric Wadge]] on bass, [[Pawlu "l-Bibi" Camilleri]] on harmonica, [[Albert Garzia]][http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/] on accordion and piano and [[Jes Psaila]] on acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars. ''Ħamsin'' includes twelve tracks, with thematic content ranging from romantic songs such as ''Wara l-Ħajt'' (Behind the Wall) and ''Min Hi?'' (Who is She?) to pro-environmental songs like ''L-Aħħar Sekondi'' (The Final Seconds) and ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta). The musical arrangements are by [[Renzo Spiteri]]. '''Lil Malta''' is fast becoming Malta's environmental battlecry against building speculation in an erstwhile over-built island state.

On 6 May 2007 the album was on top of the [[D'Amato Music]] Best 20 Malta hit parade. Unlike many Maltese musicians, Walter Micallef does not have his hotel spot as an entertainer. He is after all, a performer and as such the requests he accedes to are those pertaining to his vast repertoire. He prefers to play live and avoids playback.

In 2009 Micallef, together with [[Corazon Mizzi]], won the Għanja tal-Poplu festival again with the song Tal-Aħħar. He is also currently rehearsing on performing some of his Maltese songs with the Cosmos Wind Quintet featuring guitar, bassoon, flute, clarinet and oboe.

==Songs==
*''Willie'' (1970)
*''Xagħar Iswed'' (1972)
*''Ma tħobbnix''
*''Lil Hilary''
*''Simpatija u Ħniena''
*''Ħmistax''
*''Ġewwa Marsalforn''
*''Inħobbok'' (1974)
*''5 t'Ottubru 1977'' (1977)
*''Ħrafa u Ereżija'' (1978)
*''Ġuvni'' (1979)
*''Ġebla Niexfa''
*''L-istorja ta' Dej''
*''Mqar''
*''Il-party''
*''Inċedi''
*''Inħobbok'' (oħra)
*''Ma Temminnix'' (1980)
*''In-Nofsinhar'' (1981)
*''Lil Dil-Povra Kreatura'' (1982)
*''M'Jien Xejn'' (1988)
*''L-Aħħar Sekondi''
*''Iż-Żmien'' (1993)
*''Le'' (1994)
*''Tihom Widen'' (1995)
*''Awwissu'' (1996)
*''Blues'' (1997)
*''L-F.M.''
*''Dan l-Aħħar'' (1998)
*''Kif Deherli Jien''
*''Gianni'' (1999)
*''Żgħira''
*''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina''
*''San Blas waqt il-Programm'' (2000)
*''Nemmen''
*''Elfejn u Għoxrin'' (2001)
*''Il-Kejl''
*''Wara l-Ħajt'' (2002)
*''Kelba, qattusa u kanarin''
*''Ħajja tan-Nejk''
*''Ċirku''
*''Il-Fjamma''
*''Ċanfira''
*''Ħażin'' (2004)
*''Tard wisq''
*''Qiegħ il-flixkun''
*''Ħelu u tal-Ġenn'' (2005)
*''Min Hi?''
*''Għaċ-Ċkejkna''
*''Pino''
*'''Il Fuq''
*''Lil Malta'' (2006)
*''Ir-Rebbiegħa'' (2007)
*''Ħielsa'' (2007)
*''Bix-Xemx Warajja (2009)

==References==
<references />

==Other references==
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=782 The Chords of Justice, Times of Malta, 18 Jan 2003.]
* [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/02/16/tw/index.html The Third Degree with Walter Micallef, Malta Today, 16 Feb 2003.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2462 One World Beat preview, Times of Malta, 13 March 2004.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2912 Up Close to Walter Micallef, St. James Cavalier Concerts preview, Times of Malta, 3 July 2004.] - online text no longer available
* [http://adriangrima.250free.com/hamsin_kumment_ag.pdf Kull Buffura Riħ, 23 Marzu 2007.]
* [http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=49773 Everyday songs, The Malta Independent, 21 April 2007.]

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.waltermicallef.com Official website]
* [http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html L-Għanja tal-Poplu]
* [http://www.renzospiteri.com/waltmic.html Renzo Spiteri official website]

[[Category:Maltese singer-songwriters]]

Walter Micallef

2011-05-29T20:28:02Z

Steve Borg: /* Songs */

'''Walter Micallef''' (born 24 October 1955) is a leading Maltese singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of [[Birkirkara]]. He has composed well over a hundred songs, nearly all in Maltese.

==Childhood==
He spent his childhood in [[Birkirkara]], [[Malta]]'s largest town, at a time when his family home was requisitioned by the state to make way for a public convenience. Like other Maltese boys of the age, he revelled in driving around the island and on visiting the neighbouring islands of [[Gozo]] and [[Comino]]. Three of his earlier songs, all still unreleased, are ''Ġewwa Marsalforn'' (In [[Marsalforn]]), ''Erġajt Sejjer Marsalforn'' (Going back to [[Marsalforn]]) and ''Xagħar Iswed'' (Black Hair).

The first two are both played on the [[reggae]] beat and have only been performed in [[Valletta]] in 2004 and in [[Xewkija]] [[Gozo]] in 2005. The track ''Xagħar Iswed'', written when Micallef was only seventeen, bears witness that the artiste was always romantically inclined and recurring phrases in his lyrics still comment on the beauty he admires in simplicity. A literal translation of a stanza taken from ''Xagħar Iswed'', written in 1972, goes as:

''Black and wavy hair, beautiful lips, mellow smile, it's our love that I seek, I admire her and she knows all this.''

It is thought that these three songs may feature in his forthcoming third album, expected to be released in 2009.

==Musical Influences==
He has cited the Italian [[Giorgio Gaber]], [[Gino Paoli]] and American [[Jim Croce]] and [[James Taylor]] as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played [[Cat Stevens]] songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery [[Bruce Cockburn]] spirit in him and the [[Lou Reed]] cynicism in his lyrics. ''Lil Malta'' may after all be his equal to Reed's [[Last Great American Whale]].

Micallef has maintained that as a Maltese counterpart he mentions [[Manwel Mifsud]], unfortunately barely known in the musical field. [[Graziana Axisa]] has played as a supporting act in a major [[Marsascala]] concert in 2006. Axisa has also sung Micallef's song ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' in the 2005 Għanja Tal-Poplu festival, placing a creditable second.

Artistic works in Maltese are minimal since there is no national strategy to assist or promote performers singing in their mother tongue. European Union funds are hard to acquire considering that Maltese is an official EU language, and not a minority one. Micallef has lamented about this shortcoming many times <ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364 Fading Notes], ''The Malta Independent'', 22 August 2005</ref>.

==Musical career==
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the ''Għanja tal-Poplu'' festival, founded by the Youth Travel Circle in 1973, several times. In 1979 he won with ''Ġuvni'' (Young Man), followed with success in 1992 with ''Iż-Żmien'' (Time) and in 1994 with ''In-Nofsinhar'' (The South). He has also won best lyrics in 1994 with ''Le'' (No), in 1999 with ''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina'' (My friend in the Cupboard), in 2005 with ''Għaċ-Ċkejkna'' (For the Little One) and in 2006 with ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta).

Writing in Malta Today on 23 March 2001, critic Miriam Dunn remarks that "listening to the intelligent usage he makes of the Maltese language in his work, it is difficult to imagine that some years back, Walter made a conscious decision to switch his songwriting from the English language"<ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2001/0323/people.html Words with Meaning], ''Malta Today'', 23 March 2001.</ref>.

Although he had been around since 1973, it was in February 2003 that he released his first album, after a chance meeting with [[Radio Malta]] world music presenter [[Steve Borġ]]. The first album was entitled ''M'Jien Xejn'' (I am Nothing). Already considered as a classic release, it contains fifteen tracks written between 1981 and 2001. ''Awwissu'' (August) remains his most popular track from this album, and has even been used, albeit to his surprise, as an advert for an air-conditioning brand on Maltese television. He has lamented that his lyrics have, at times, had a lukewarm reception by the Maltese public, perhaps due to the islanders' inbred conservative upbringing and years of political polarisation.

With Maltese society opening up to self-appraisal and criticism, he has been embraced by a growing band of devotees who follow him to all his venues. He has given memorable concerts at [[The Labyrinth]] in [[Valletta]], The Beachclub in [[Marsascala]], The George in [[Bugibba]] and [[Marsalforn]] Sajf in [[Gozo]].

On the 18 March 2004 he launched his [[Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb]] band, including [[Etnika]]'s double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the [[UNESCO]] Suisse charity event One World Beat [http://www.oneworldbeat.org/pages/eventDetail.php?eventId=68]. This was followed by four concerts in July 2004 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in [[Valletta]], featuring his sextet.

He has also made appearances on German television stations [[ZDF]] and [[Bayerisches Fernsehen]] and on several regional French stations. He is regularly played on Maltese radio stations and on ethnic Maltese radio programmes in Australia.

Micallef was shortlisted for Best Male Artist in 2004 for the [[Malta Music Awards]], and has continued to win acclaim and awards for his prowess in writing Maltese lyrics complimented by original melodies. He was awarded the [[Julian Manduca]] Cultural Award <ref>[http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf]</ref> in July 2006 at [[Gianpula]] in [[Rabat]] for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.

On the 23rd of March 2007 he released his second album, ''Ħamsin'' (Fifty) in front of a packed house at the Powerhouse Theatre [http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=273321&pid=67], [[Valletta Waterfront]] in [[Floriana]].<ref>[http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852 Music Matters], ''The Malta Independent'', 1 April 2007.</ref> His modern folk [http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef] sextet includes [[WOMAD]] performer [[Renzo Spiteri]] on percussion, [[Eric Wadge]] on bass, [[Pawlu "l-Bibi" Camilleri]] on harmonica, [[Albert Garzia]][http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/] on accordion and piano and [[Jes Psaila]] on acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric guitars. ''Ħamsin'' includes twelve tracks, with thematic content ranging from romantic songs such as ''Wara l-Ħajt'' (Behind the Wall) and ''Min Hi?'' (Who is She?) to pro-environmental songs like ''L-Aħħar Sekondi'' (The Final Seconds) and ''Lil Malta'' (A Song for Malta). The musical arrangements are by [[Renzo Spiteri]]. '''Lil Malta''' is fast becoming Malta's environmental battlecry against building speculation in an erstwhile over-built island state.

On 6 May 2007 the album was on top of the [[D'Amato Music]] Best 20 Malta hit parade. Unlike many Maltese musicians, Walter Micallef does not have his hotel spot as an entertainer. He is after all, a performer and as such the requests he accedes to are those pertaining to his vast repertoire. He prefers to play live and avoids playback. He is also currently rehearsing on performing some of his Maltese songs with a classic quintet featuring guitar, bassoon, flute, clarinet and oboe.

==Songs==
*''Willie'' (1970)
*''Xagħar Iswed'' (1972)
*''Ma tħobbnix''
*''Lil Hilary''
*''Simpatija u Ħniena''
*''Ħmistax''
*''Ġewwa Marsalforn''
*''Inħobbok'' (1974)
*''5 t'Ottubru 1977'' (1977)
*''Ħrafa u Ereżija'' (1978)
*''Ġuvni'' (1979)
*''Ġebla Niexfa''
*''L-istorja ta' Dej''
*''Mqar''
*''Il-party''
*''Inċedi''
*''Inħobbok'' (oħra)
*''Ma Temminnix'' (1980)
*''In-Nofsinhar'' (1981)
*''Lil Dil-Povra Kreatura'' (1982)
*''M'Jien Xejn'' (1988)
*''L-Aħħar Sekondi''
*''Iż-Żmien'' (1993)
*''Le'' (1994)
*''Tihom Widen'' (1995)
*''Awwissu'' (1996)
*''Blues'' (1997)
*''L-F.M.''
*''Dan l-Aħħar'' (1998)
*''Kif Deherli Jien''
*''Gianni'' (1999)
*''Żgħira''
*''Sieħbi fil-Cupboard tal-Kċina''
*''San Blas waqt il-Programm'' (2000)
*''Nemmen''
*''Elfejn u Għoxrin'' (2001)
*''Il-Kejl''
*''Wara l-Ħajt'' (2002)
*''Kelba, qattusa u kanarin''
*''Ħajja tan-Nejk''
*''Ċirku''
*''Il-Fjamma''
*''Ċanfira''
*''Ħażin'' (2004)
*''Tard wisq''
*''Qiegħ il-flixkun''
*''Ħelu u tal-Ġenn'' (2005)
*''Min Hi?''
*''Għaċ-Ċkejkna''
*''Pino''
*'''Il Fuq''
*''Lil Malta'' (2006)
*''Ir-Rebbiegħa'' (2007)
*''Ħielsa'' (2007)
*''Bix-Xemx Warajja (2009)

==References==
<references />

==Other references==
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=782 The Chords of Justice, Times of Malta, 18 Jan 2003.]
* [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/02/16/tw/index.html The Third Degree with Walter Micallef, Malta Today, 16 Feb 2003.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2462 One World Beat preview, Times of Malta, 13 March 2004.]
* [http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=2912 Up Close to Walter Micallef, St. James Cavalier Concerts preview, Times of Malta, 3 July 2004.] - online text no longer available
* [http://adriangrima.250free.com/hamsin_kumment_ag.pdf Kull Buffura Riħ, 23 Marzu 2007.]
* [http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=49773 Everyday songs, The Malta Independent, 21 April 2007.]

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.waltermicallef.com Official website]
* [http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html L-Għanja tal-Poplu]
* [http://www.renzospiteri.com/waltmic.html Renzo Spiteri official website]

[[Category:Maltese singer-songwriters]]