Toni Cutajar Il-Pikkolin
Toni Cutajar Il-Pikkolin
is an improvised verse folksinger. He was born on the 9th July 1993 and hails from Birkirkara. He grew up in the Oratory neighbourhood.
Contrary to popular belief that his nickname Il-Pikkolin, lit. the little one is a moniker for his physiognomy, he inherited this from his family, all from Birkirkara.
Cutajar was exposed to folk singing as a seven-year old through his father, at the Pieta boċċi club, then managed by għana promoter Charles Mangion Iż-Żubina. The venue was to become his natural home.
It was Mangion who encouraged him to break into the folk singing world through a bout with Frans Cachia l-Budaj tas-Siġġiewi. He was to folk sing several times to others including Wally Ghiller tal-Isla, Frans Mifsud ta' Vestru, Etienne Pawney In-Naxxari, Kalċidon Vella d-Danny and Leli Lia s-Setti.
The Pieta' venue closed its doors on the 6th June 2012 and since then Cutajar has only folk sung on very few occasions. He declines invitations to folk sing in bars, and has opted not to be enrolled by a folk promoter within a given group, preferring to a roaming spirit.
Cutajar claims that his mentor was Frans Baldacchino l-Budaj, who advised him to adhere to the improvised verse folk singing code of keeping to the subject and to avoid malice.