Walter Micallef
Encyclopedia
Walter Micallef 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.
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.
, 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 Marsaskala
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 http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364.
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".
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)http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=81422&pid=67. 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 Marsaskala
, The George in Buġibba
and Marsalforn
Sajf in Gozo
.
On 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 Arts Centre in Valletta, featuring his current 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 complemented by original melodies. He was awarded the Julian Manduca
Cultural Award http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf in July 2006 at Gianpula in Rabat
for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.
.
On 23 March 2007 he released his second album, Ħamsin http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852(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
. 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 Camilleri
'l-Bibi' 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.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
singer songwriter, born in the central Maltese town of Birkirkara
Birkirkara
Birkirkara or B'Kara is a city of 25,858 inhabitants in central Malta. It is the most populated town on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius' College...
. 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 GozoGozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
and Comino
Comino
Comino is an island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring in area. Named after the cumin seed that once flourished in the Maltese islands, Comino is noted for its tranquility and isolation. It has a permanent population of only four...
. 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
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
beat and have only been performed in Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
in 2004 and in Xewkija
Xewkija
Xewkija is a village on Gozo Island, Malta. The population of Xewkija is 3,115 , that is the fourth largest in Gozo, after Victoria , Nadur and Xagħra .-History:...
, Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
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 GaberGiorgio Gaber
Giorgio Gaber, byname of Giorgio Gaberscik , was an Italian singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. He was also an accomplished guitar player and author of one of the first rock songs in Italian...
, Gino Paoli
Gino Paoli
Gino Paoli is an Italian singer-songwriter. He wrote four masterpieces of Italian popular music: "Il cielo in una stanza", "Che cosa c'è", "Senza fine" and "Sapore di sale".- Biography :...
and American Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
as his major musical influences, although at times he has also played Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
songs. Critics, however, believe that Micallef has also the fiery Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
spirit in him and the Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
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
Graziana Axisa
Graziana Axisa is a vocalist, born in Malta in 1986. She grew up in the southern town of [Zabbar]. Graziana is able to sing in Maltese, English and Italian....
has played as a supporting act in a major Marsaskala
Marsaskala
Marsaskala is a sea-side village in Malta that has grown up around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long narrow inlet also known as Marsaskala Creek...
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 http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=20364.
Musical career
Micallef has won the major artistic awards that Maltese singing provides. He has won the Għanja tal-Poplu festival http://www.ytc.org.mt/mus_en.html, 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".
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
Radio Malta
Radju Malta is the main radio service of PBS Ltd, the public service broadcaster of Malta.The origins of Radio Malta go back to 1935.For many years, transmissions were effected on a cable-radio system which started way back in 1935 by a British company called Rediffusion...
world music presenter Steve Borġ
Steve Borg
Steve Borg in Malta is a footballer who plays as a Defender. He currently plays for Valletta FC in the Maltese Premier League and the Malta national football team.-Mosta F.C.:In 2005 he signed for local Maltese outfit Mosta F.C....
. The first album was entitled M'Jien Xejn (I am Nothing)http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=81422&pid=67. 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 Marsaskala
Marsaskala
Marsaskala is a sea-side village in Malta that has grown up around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long narrow inlet also known as Marsaskala Creek...
, The George in Buġibba
Bugibba
Buġibba [pronounced bu-jibb-buh] is a small town in Malta, situated adjacent to Qawra and forming part of the local council of St. Paul's Bay. With numerous hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and a casino, it is a popular resort among tourists....
and Marsalforn
Marsalforn
Marsalforn is a village on the north west coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The village lies between the hill-top towns of Xagħra and Żebbuġ The village forms part of the locality of Żebbuġ. Marsalforn is the most popular tourist resort on Gozo. It is well...
Sajf in Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
.
On 18 March 2004 he launched his Walter Micallef u l-Ħbieb band, including Etnika
Etnika
Etnika is one of Malta's leading modern folk bands founded in 2000.The four founder members were composer Ruben Żahra , traditional instrument maker Ġużi Gatt, researcher Steve Borġ and musician Andrew Alamango...
's double bassist Oliver DeGabriele, as Malta's representative in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
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 Arts Centre in Valletta, featuring his current sextet.
He has also made appearances on German television stations ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
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 complemented by original melodies. He was awarded the Julian Manduca
Julian Manduca
Julian Manduca was one of the foremost environmentalists in Malta. He was part of the management team of an ethical trade organisation and consultant editor with liberal and pro-environment newspaper MaltaToday...
Cultural Award http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/07/23/tw/TW230706.pdf in July 2006 at Gianpula in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
for his proactive environmental songs, aimed at raising social consciousness on these issues.
.
On 23 March 2007 he released his second album, Ħamsin http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=48852(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
Valletta Waterfront
The Valletta Waterfront, in Floriana, Malta, is baroque wharf built by Manuel Pinto de Fonseca in the 18th century. It has been thoroughly renovated by a private consortium who run the Waterfront and offer management overseeing for Malta's cruise liner business...
in Floriana
Floriana
Floriana is a town in Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dom Mauro Caruana, the poet Oliver Friggieri, and Swedish Idol winner...
. His modern folk http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=256392&hilite=walter+micallef sextet includes WOMAD performer Renzo Spiteri
Renzo Spiteri
Multi-percussionist Renzo Spiteri is a versatile solo artiste and session musician who creates "a sheer mesmerising atmosphere whenever he performs" ....
on percussion, Eric Wadge on bass, Pawlu Camilleri
Pawlu Camilleri
Pawlu Camilleri is one of Malta's leading harmonica musicians. Born in Valletta, Pawlu grew up in the neighbourhood of Id-Due Balli, a working class area of the Maltese capital city....
'l-Bibi' on harmonica, Albert Garzia
Albert Garzia
Albert Garzia is a Maltese composer, musician and music teacher. He started his musical training as an accordionist at an early age under Dorselle Mifsud with whom he also studied piano performance later on...
http://www.violinist.com/blog/Darcylewis/20069/5706/ on accordion and piano and Jes Psaila
Jes Psaila
Jes Psaila is a Maltese guitarist born in Valletta, Malta, on 23 February 1964. He grew up in the Tal-Karmnu neighbourhood of the Maltese capital....
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
Renzo Spiteri
Multi-percussionist Renzo Spiteri is a versatile solo artiste and session musician who creates "a sheer mesmerising atmosphere whenever he performs" ....
. "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"