Joe Vella l-Bokser
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Joe Vella Il-Bokser was born in the rural village of Manikata, and started folk singing at the age of thirteen on his father's farm under pomegranate and carob trees in the same Maltese village.
File:DSC05966.JPG
Joe Vella Il-Bokser
He emigrated to Sydney, Australia as a young man. He became Australia's super middleweight boxing champion in 1976, hence his nickname, when he beat Fiji-born Alipate Korovou at the South Sydney Rugby League Club. He lost the same title to Korovou in 1977.
Vella started folksinging in 1977, with Ninu Galea Il-Kalora and Salvu Galea Tal-Kalora, and then sang with Loretu Vellu Tas-Siċċu and Saver Bonanno Tal-Manikata.