Joe Vella l-Bokser
Joe Vella Il-Bokser
was born in the rural village of Manikata on the 2nd of August 1951, and started folk singing at the age of thirteen on his father's farm under pomegranate and carob trees in the same Maltese village.
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. He later took the occupation of a taxi driver.
Vella started folksinging in 1977, with Ninu Galea Il-Kalora and Salvu Galea Tal-Kalora, and then sang with Loretu Vella Tas-Siċċu and Saver Bonanno Tal-Manikata.
Joe Il-Bokser performed in Għaxaq on 2 August 2013, during an event organized by Mikiel Cutajar Is-Superstar.
External Links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECeXMf2ZD0 Folk singing session in Sydney.