While in some ways, the sessions are only important to me, and perhaps, other musicians who walked the road with me through the years, I have lately arrived at this place where I cannot afford to hoard anymore. And besides as I get older I am questioning the value of these sessions which happened many years ago in some cases, and more recent ones which I have only listened to once.  Presently I find myself debating their relevance and value.

Sure I can switch on a memory of a jam session and or a studio recording as soon as I hear the audio. Some of the people in the session are no longer living, so there is the sentimental value of good memories. To me audio is more effective in recalling a memory then a photograph. To hear a voice make a comment or a person laughing or someone directing or singing or a special riff  or a harmony arrangement, has more value than seeing their printed image. The other strange association with audio is that, the sound makes you see the person as you last knew them.

As many musicians know, in this business you get to meet and work with a lot of people, some of whom you might not see again or scarcely. Some you see often but they have advanced and progressed to a stage which does not identify them anymore with that session which you recorded of them in the 70’s or beyond.

The other reason is that we all move on and progress in our lives and in my case I tend to look at work which goes beyond a certain time, as history, and of purely nostalgic and somewhat  irrelevant to the present.  But is the present all that matters? Or should one still keep ties to his past in the process of moving forward?

Some of the sessions I was involved in over the years still stand up and I am still proud to be associated with them. I am not sure whether the fun of the sessions is more important than the actual sound itself, but never the less when I put them on in the presence of those who took part, there seems to be a general consensus of their level of achievement, even though all those listening recognise their flaws of immaturity in their playing at that time. But the rawness is there.

And that is another point which interests me. Many cultured and expended players admitted to me that while they got better as they aged, they lost that fire and edge with maturity. Sure their playing is smoother now, but their need for speed and attack before one reaches a certain maturity as a player is gone.

So if I throw away the accumulated audio tapes all this will be gone forever. But is it worth keeping them if you have not got the time to listen to them?

Do we really need to be defined by our past???

The thought of more space is too enticing, but the fear of regret after the act is done is weighing very hard on my mind.

Shall I?... Shall I not?...Shall I... Shall I not?

Hmmm... leave it till tomorrow!

Which were the records which made you stop in your tracks, walk into the first available record shop and ask for the record you have just heard for the first time on your radio? These remain treasures in your collection not just for the music that touched you but the milestone they created in your life.  Some of these were issues on vinyl originally but naturally reissued on CD or MP3. All of these songs below I ne3eded to own on every medium because I have not stopped playing them to this very day.....

Have you ever taken a moment to think back and figure out which where these sounds which made you stop in your tracks and made you resolve immediately, “I must have that record...right now!”....

Here are some that had an impact on me;....


1                    All the Beatles albums , (no exceptions)....

2                    Super session - Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfied (1966/67)....

3                    Freddie King’s first album  (1972 or thereabouts)....

4                    Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits (197???)....

5                    Blowing in The Wind – Bob Dylan (sixties)....

6                    Refugee - Cold Chisel  198?? (Australia)....

7                    Eric Clapton  - Sunshine of your Love” (sixties)....

8                    Jimmy Hendrix – Hej Joe/The wind cries Mary (sixties)....

9                    Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Mary had a little lamb”....

10                John Lennon – Imagine – seventies I think.....

I think I will stop here but everyone of these tracks caused me to stop whatever I was doing and head for the nearest record shop so I could buy the record  there and then....which were yours?!


Mannie   
Feb 2009

Recording or Performing???

OUT OF SPACE

When you have been in the local music since the 1960's you accumulate a lot of gear. You pick up a guitar here and there and often it is hard to sell the old stuff…until you get to a time when space becomes a huge issue. For those who have used and worked with an acoustic, an electric or a bass guitar it becomes part of your musical story. You start to associate musical instruments with people, places and memories, but is this practical?

There are guitars which have a special quirk in the way they sound and you cannot bring out that sound in a recording situation regardless of how good your effects unit is, especially if it is acoustic. There is that electric sound which old pickups brought out without the need of effect boxes. You remember lines in a recording which you played with an old Jumbo Yamaha, and old Firebird, or the still pristine Fender. If you are very basic with your effect usage it is very hard to reproduce such sounds. At least it is if your are like me and are not good with long term memory. If there is one thing I hate is wasting time trying to re find that old sound which you produced years ago. So all guitars in your possessions are important but as space gets less in your house the inevitable decision has to be made… I must get rid of some of these guitars and keep the most essential ones.

This decision is of course very risky because once the guitar goes it is the last you see of it…and yet even after its gone you are sure to have a need or wish to play it again or record with it. I remember reading the story of when Eric Clapton sold a massive number of his guitars which were almost a diary of his life. Each guitar represented an era, an appearance, which was most often then not was caught of film. I wonder if Eric ever gets the urge to play some of the guitars he sold again and whether he is saddened by the fact that he does not own that guitar anymore and will probably never get the opportunity to play it again. I am sure he does, and yet the reality is he sold them en masse.

I have a friend who used to own a Gibson SG in the early seventies and sold it before Angus Young made it famous with AC/DC. I remember how good he used to sound as we'd be on stage and he would be producing a rich Rock sound which would drive the band. He still regrets selling the instrument and has long lost track of its existence. He often reflects what it would be like to play that sound now not to mention its value.

And yet I have already started moving some of my old guitars on. I wonder what regrets I will be facing later on as I say good bye to some of these old friends?

Till next time

Mannie

With the new wave of reissued films on DVD I found myself rediscovering movies I watched for the first time in my childhood in the 1950's. Some of the movies I have not seen since my childhood and teenages. This is of great value from a nostalgic point of view but from the music angle this is even more significant.

I recently found myself watching an old Elvis movie  called "King Creole". The music in this early Elvis movie has all the influences Rock Music originated from. Blues, Jazz and soul and even the injection of Spirituals. Naturally watching Elvis the master execute this type of early Rock Music, when Rock "Roll was the hottest property in town was inspirational. But then Elvis was the unique instigator of a the new revolution in popular music.

I watched every number in amazement realising the simplicity of expression and the exciting beat and rhythm in the band behind him.

This was the ultimate in the music genre my generation grew up with, but in reflection it was the true revolutionary music that changed our lives. The sound technology of today was missing. The digital recording techniques were absent too and the sophisticated mixing in the studio was totally not there – they probably recorded the songs as "live takes" - but the spirit and life of the music and the sheer excitement was packed in every song. "Looking for Trouble", "Hard Headed Woman", "As long as I have you" etc brought it all back.

The ultimate realisation for me was that after all these decades and elapsed time, I almost feel in some way music has gone backwards and it is only when we go back to the orgigins of Rock music we rediscover the truth of the music of our generation. All that happened since then has only been an exploration away from the source and rock music in its origins. It seems that every time we revisit the past we find ways to proceed to the future.

Till next time...

M

There is a frustrating feeling which cannot be remedied unless you do what you must do.

You get so many ideas and inspirations which you want to work on immediately and get them out of your system. But life is not like that, other priorities compete for your time and often a great idea needs attention straight away... or it will not remain so great.

My great frustration is that once best work comes out when the idea is new and the enthusiasm is at its peak. But unfortunately there are too many things which draw you away. I have one and a half albums in my head which I must get out of my system soon... maybe some might think I am making excuses…I wonder?

Cheers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Manuel Casha

www.manuelcasha.com

"Tifkira" CD is still available".

Hi,

Since I launched the new blog I have received some emails enquiring whether the latest CD Album "Tifkira' is still available. The answer is yes, it is still available.

Therefore I have decided to keep the song samples available for a bit longer.

I also include the write up about the album which explains its source and inspiration.

I recorded Tifkira in memory of my friend and colleague Frans Baldacchino "il-Budaj" who died in July 2006.

***

Tifkira

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

"Tila" was a concept I produced with Frans Baldacchino, after having produced and arranged backing music tracks for the popular singer who in turn used them in his various television and radio appearances.

"Tifkira" is closure to a long productive musical friendship which dates back to the early eighties. I was working on new arrangements for our second CD album except Frans "il-Budaj" died before the work could be completed.

Frans was very pleased with the previous album "Tila", but he was never one to stand still. He suggested we do another album where the music would be more acoustic to vary the sound. (The previous CD album "Tila" contained a more modern electronic sound) He also wanted to mix the ghana melodies with more melodic songs such as the one we did on "Tila" called "Maltija"

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

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

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

These are "Alla Muzikant" and "Sa l-ahhar nghanni" which Frans included and sang with so much feeling in his many public appearances.

With the release of "Tifkira" I intended to close a musical chapter which has existed for over two decades and which has withstood the difficulties of collaborating artistically from across two sides of the globe."

The album will be released in June on the first anniversary of Frans Baldacchino's passing.

See you!

Mannie

Caught between two Cultures

Hi,

I consider my role in music as more of a song writer then a singer. I have always enjoyed the satisfaction of creating a song for an artist and watch him run with it and give the music and the lyrics his, or her own touch. In my writing I have been lucky to be caught between two cultures which gives me the extra incentive to write in two languages, English and Maltese.

The phenomenon in this is not conflicting but enhancing for me. Every language has its own phonetical dynamics and leads the writer to certain paths the other would not. The bread and butter songs have always been in English while the Maltese songs have generally been a labour of love. It is important to stay in touch with my Maltese side. Considering I have lived away from Malta for the greater part of my life and career, I somehow still feel the need to keep the Maltese language alive in me.

In my childhood there was a belief that the Maltese language was not as workable with lyrics as English, Italian, French or other languages. I have always found this to be a fallacy. I have written many Maltese songs and always found that in the hands of the right artists the sounds are no different to any other language.

Having said that, my total life in music has been in Australia. I started when I was a teenager and am still going without any signs or intention of ever retiring from music. As my first guitar teacher used to tell me "there are some professions from which you never retire". The difference is that when I write Maltese lyrics I still seem to write in a rock, blues or folk style. This creates an interesting challenge for me because the style is not Maltese… but the lyrics are.

I do however like to delve in the traditional style, but even when I do, I seem to modernise it and adapt it to my general style. In my two albums with the great Maltese Folklore singer, the late Frans Baldacchino "il-budaj" the singing was purely Maltese folklore, but the backing was my adaptation of the traditional style to a hybrid which some called fresh and new, while others saw as distancing ourselves too much from the true folkloric style… And it is that hybrid which I am most interested in. Frans 'il-Budaj" came along for the ride because he was adventurous and wanted to seek other styles himself. Our two albums "TILA" and "TIFKIRA" show definite change of direction from the traditional styles while we both remained true to the melodies and improvisations.

In the late 90's I released an extended play of four songs which I called "Stories from the 20^th Century". This was very rare because I sang all the songs myself , which I hardly ever do. It was my way of rapping up the 20^th century in four epic songs which reflected what I considered were most representative of my experiences of the 20^th century.

 I include two of the four songs on the album.

1. "Hrief ghas-Sagrificcju" (sacrificial lambs) and 

2. "Bank Blues"

The others songs are "Live for me" which I wrote for a young singer Irene Attard who is a name of the future. And the last one is "In Memoriam".

3.      "Live for me"

4.      "In Memoriam" (In memory)  is from the last album "Tifkira"

Perhaps it is not too bad to be caught between two cultures!

Till next time,

Mannie

I have finally finished my farewell CD album to the memory of Frans Baldacchino "Il-Budaj"
"Tifkira" is a new CD album which commemorates the first anniversary from the passing of Malta's top traditional singer, Frans Baldacchino popularly known as "Il-Budaj". The album will be released both in Malta and Australia and is my farewell to a friend and music colleague of twenty plus years. Frans and I teamed up from across the globe, for many projects, the last of which was the CD album "Tila" (Canvas) in 2005.
"Tila" was a concept I produced with with Frans Baldacchino, after having produced and arranged backing music tracks for the popular singer who in turn used them in his various television and radio appearances.
"Tifkira" is closure to a long productive musical friendship which dates back to the early eighties. I was working on new arrangements for our second CD album except Frans "il-Budaj" died before the work could be completed.
Frans was very pleased with the previous album "Tila", but he was never one to stand still. He suggested we do another album where the the music would be more acoustic to vary the sound. (the previous CD album "Tila" contained a more modern electronic sound) He also wanted to mix the ghana melodies with more melodic songs such as the one we did on "Tila" called "Maltija"
I started working on various tracks but I completed one which I sent him as a guide to what was to come. Frans immediately wrote two versions of lyrics for it and recorded them. He called one "Kif Sirna" (what we have become) and another "Manuel Casha u l-Budaj" ( Manuel Casha and Budaj). He played these for me when I visited him in May 2006 while I was in Malta for a brief visit. This made me more resolute to complete this work, most of which only needed final mixing, but Frans died in mid June 2006 while I was still in Malta. The sadness and sense of loss caused me to put away this work and store it away forever. Now, as the first anniversary from Frans Baldacchino's passing approaches, I feel it can be used to remind us of one of Malta's favourite artists.
While the tracks in Tifkira were tailored for "Budaj's" voice, I replaced his voice with the sound of the guitar while his voice can be heard speaking about his philosophy on Maltese Traditional music of ghana for which he fought so hard to get recognition. The audio of his voice was taken from interviews I did with him in which he spoke in detail about his dreams, aims and life philosophy.
"Tifkira" is my final farewell to Frans "Il-Budaj" but to those who are hearing it for the first time it can also serve as an introduction to a man who did so much for the recognition Maltese G[ana music". It contains the music I was preparing for Frans 'il-Budaj" which he would have sung had the project not been cut short with his passing, but it also includes a couple of songs from our previous album "Tila".
These are "Alla Mu]ikant" and "Sa l-ahhar ng[anni" which Frans included and sang with so much feeling in his many public appearances.
With the release of "Tifkira" I intended to close a musical chapter which has existed for over two decades and which has withstood the difficulties of collaborating artistically from across two sides of the globe."
The album will be released in June on the first anniversary of Frans Baldacchino's passing.

Till next time,

Mannie