Merga

Merga (Mary Buttigieg)

Mary Galea (born 25 May, 1952), Buttigieg by marriage, is a singer known as Merga from Rabat, Malta.

She was educated at the Rabat Primary School and Our Lady Immaculate Secondary School of Ħamrun.

Her singing career kicked off in 1962 at the Rabat Song Contest organized by ŻĦN, with song ‘Nixtieq Nittajjar’, a Maltese version of 'Vorrei Volare’. Though she never took singing lessons, her father was a musician and that helped her a lot.

She successfully took part in several other song contests such as the Aurora Song Festival, Lester Production Song Festival, Żebbuġ Song Festival, Malta Song Festival, Festival tal-Kanzunetti Marjani, Malta International Festival (Tourist Revues), Gozo Festival and L-Għanja tal-Poplu organized by YTC. She started using her stage name Merga when she was competing abroad, a name by which she became popular in the Maltese Islands.

Merga sang songs by various composers and authors, but most of her songs were written by John B.Cassar. One pof her first songs was 'Madonnina' which was originally performed by Terry L Bencini in the first Malta Song Contest in 1960.

Merga (Mary Buttigieg)

John B Cassar composer was already established when Merga started singing for her he wrote a 'Speak of Your Tears' and 'Niket u Faraġ Faraġ' (Sorrow and Consolation) which Merga participated in the International Festival of Malta (Tourist Revue) and both are at disc Belter out some other songs which I participated in festivals in Malta.

In 1969, singer Joe Bugeja was going to represent Malta at the International Festival at Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Just a few weeks before the festival, he decided to leave Malta and go to work to England. Shortly before John B Cassar was sent some of Merga recordings to record home company Belter were also entered in the Festival of Tenerife. When John B Cassar informed that Joe Bugeja Belter could not take part, they suggest him to go Merga as substitute instead of him. Infact shortly before the festival entranced I went to Barcelona and recorded the song ‘Johnny’, the song that Merga would sing at the festival, and also they need a B Side, and John B Cassar decided to do 'Madonnina'.

With Belter also recorded 'Speak of Your Tears' and 'Niket u Faraġ' (Sorrow and Consolation) composed by John B Cassar. Also recorded a song written by Lee Spiteri which rapresent Malta in the International Festival of Sopot, in Poland. They all recorded with Belter to made in Barcelona, Spain

Merga taken part in serveral Festivals aboard, such, in Tenerife, Greece, Poland, Italy, Rio di Janeiro, Brazil, Cuba.

Merga was involved in the work Ikun li Trid Int. It was written by Prof.Manuel Mifsud and Therese Cassar in the early 70s. Sang first by own members of YTC at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa.

After we recorded also in the studios of MTV and was filmed in colour although it was not yet the colour tv Malta. And was recorded on a Long Play Album in 1976 and later on in 2001 on a cd. The Festival Għanja tal-Poplu began to be done once a year for members of the YTC. The members themselves had to write objectives and singing well. Started at the beginning of the 1973. Merga won this festival with the song of Manuel Mifsud ‘Inti’ (You) and best singer trophy with with the song ‘In-Naffar’ (Tori) by Walter Micallef and Alfred E.Baldacchino and also win the third place.

After she stop for some years taken part in festival, but after in 2009 Merga join a sing choir Enkor. This choir is led by Johanna Van Lent, Dutch living in Malta. Sing any kind of songs, and more the Gospel songs.