Mikiel Cutajar Is-Superstar
Mikiel Cutajar Is-Superstar
also known as Kelinu, is currently one of Malta's foremost folksingers. He was born in Żejtun on the 3rd September 1963.
He folk sang publicly for the first time at the age of nine, in the main square of his hometown Żejtun, together with Jesmond Galea Tal-Kalora. His wife is the grand daughter of renowned folksinger Mikiel Abela Il-Bambinu.
Is-Superstar organises various performances in several locations around Malta. These include Ġnien Kottonera in Bormla, Ħal Għaxaq parish square, together with the Santa Marija Band Club and Tarxien parish square, with the Banda tad-Duttrina.
Kelinu is proficient in the three main forms of għana – improvised verse, high pitched and the folk ballad. He has sung with the major folk singers of the older generation such as Ninu Galea Il-Kalora and Żeppi Meli Ta' Sika and his contemporaries, amongst them Frans Baldacchino il-Budaj.
Lining up for the improvised verse model, he regularly groups up with Jesmond Galea Tal-Kalora, his son Ronaldu Cutajar Tas-Superstar, Frans Cachia Il-Budaj Tas-Siġġiewi, Joe Busuttil Il-Bużu and Joe Grech Ta' Raħal Ġdid.
Rare Xandir Malta file footage features Kelinu together with his Mikiel Abela Il-Bambinu, Anġla Mifsud Iċ-Ċalija and Żaren Mangion Il-Folfol, all four hailing from Żejtun.
He also accepted several challenges for singing bouts with Frans Cassar Il-Bloqq, including those held at the St. Helen's Band Club in Birkirkara and in Qormi.
Cutajar has also written and sung several folk ballads, including two about prize horses Isard du Pont and Invetro de Burgh, one in honour of veteran folksinger Pawlu Seychell Il-Għannej, another entitled It-Tbatija tad-Dinja and another poignant one It-Traġedja ta' Ħal Għaxaq, which recalls the fireworks factory explosion in Għaxaq on the 15th February 1970, which left five dead.
In December 2012, Cutajar released a folk ballad in memory of the former Labour Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, during a folk singing session held at the Rialto in Bormla and in 2013 he released a folk balld in honour of new Labour Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat.
Probably the most travelled għannej in history, Kelinu has visited Australia five times, his first time being when he was just eighteen. He did improvised verse bouts in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. He sang opposite Ġużeppi Camilleri Jimmy Tal-Fjur, Żaren Attard Il-Bukaċċ, Leli Sultana Il-Moni and Ġużeppi Azzopardi Ras Il-Bagħal.
He has also visited Toronto and Detroit twice, where he folk sung with Karmnu Xuereb In-Namru. He was also invited by the Klabb tal-Maltin in London, where he sang with Fredu Abela Iż-Żejtuni.
Folk music enthusiasts fondly remember Kelinu’s improvised verse bouts with three other folk singing greats, Karmnu Fenech Il-Ħandrolla, Frans Baldacchino il-Budaj and Salvu Galea Tal-Kalora as amongst the most poignant in lyrical content.
External Links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMAJp7CYHaA Kelinu singing the high pitched model.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyJMYSxT75A Kelinu with il-Budaj, Ninu Il-Kalora and Żeppi Ta' Sika in 1996.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDQYbJRMJ30 Xandir Malta file footage.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5qG6Nme0yE Younger Bar, Qormi September 2012.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_A8zXTFmpw
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtwbrXagwY Challenge with Frans Il-Bloqq.