Mikiel Abela Il-Bambinu
Mikiel Abela Il-Bambinu was born in Żejtun on the 16th of August 1920. He was brought up and lived in his father’s farmhouse that is located between Il-Qajjenza and Marsaxlokk. He was famous for his makkjetti and for his ballads.
Ballad writing requires intensive research and fieldwork. If the story revolved about a serious crime that was to be resolved by a jury, Abela would attend all the court sessions to observe the occurrences and be precise in his writings. Twenty of Bambinu's ballads were published in Cassar's 1988 biography entitled Il-Bambinu: għana u poeżija, that was published by Sensiela Kotba Soċjalisti.
Abela was proud of his hometown, and its reputation of being the mecca for Maltese folksinging. He sung thus:
Trid idur sebat irħula
Biex forsi ssib għannej
Iż-Żejtun jitwieled tifel,
Joħroġ jgħanni jekk jibqa' ħaj!
You have to go through seven villages
To perhaps come across a folksinger
In Żejtun a boy is born,
He comes out singing if stays alive!