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Zaren Attard
(Zaren "il-Bukkacc")
(7 March 1937 - 30 June 2008)
Zaren Attard "il-Bukkacc" gave a huge contribution and did a great deal for Ghana singing in Australia, through his wonderful talent as a Maltese folksinger or as we say in Maltese "Ghannej".
Zaren goes back along way in his Ghana contribution to Maltese Folklore music in Australia. One must remember that singers like Zaren 'Il-Bukkacc" were giving their contribution when Ghana in this country was not even recognised as an ethnic contribution to the Australian Folklore music heritage. His contribution to Maltese Ghana music is huge and many of his Ghana colleagues will vouch for his high standard of singing and rhyming.
Zaren, who frequented this Ghana Club in his latter years was one of the prime ghanneja in this club. The audience used to listen with great attention when Zaren used to sing against an opponent. He was an all round ghannej who could mix humourous quatrains with serious topics in a session. In fact once Zaren went on stage, he created a great anticipation as the audience rated Zaren 'il-Bukkacc" as a quality ghannej, and so they a high class hour of Ghana.
My association with Zaren goes back to the 1980's after I started researching Ghana music. Zaren was a close friend of legendary guitarist Guzeppi Scerri "it-Toto" who kept the Ghana music going in the 50'. 60's, 70's and 80's.
I realised from the first session I heard him perform, that here was a special talent who apart from being respected by his fellow ghannejja, guitarists and the followers of this unique music, was always a
tough adversary, but always fair but just. Zaren would give a new ghannej all the encouragement, but would stand for no nonsense in the session if attacked. Even the great Ghana singers in Malta used to regard Zaren "il-Bukkacc" as a force to be reckoned with. He was always treated with great respect by the great ghannejja who have now passed on.
But Zaren was also a spiritual person by nature. It could be his upbringing in the village of Hal Luqa in Malta where he grew up or just perhaps inherited the ethic from his parents.
But when Zaren 'il-Bukkacc" sang on spiritual or religious topic, he was able to captivate the audience, just as much as when he sang on day to day topics.In fact I was privileged enough to have Zaren Attard "il-Bukkacc" help me and Father Antony Zammit put on the first Ghana Mass in Australia 1988 at St Joseph's Parish church in Springvale in Melbourne in 1988. The mass, which was written by Professor Oliver Friggieri and Guze Cardona, was a great success here in Melbourne.
The ghannejja on that day, along with Zaren Attard "il-bukkacc", were Mikiel Magrin "iz-zabbari", Angelo Buttigieg 'in-najs", George Aquilina "nofs il-lejl" and Karmnu Briffa 'Gamamu". The guitarists where Lippu Gauci, and brothers Tony and France Camilleri "ta' sponos".In my research of Ghana and my striving to record audio examples for posterity, I have found Zaren 'il-Bukkacc" of great help and assistance and most generous with passing his knowledge and information on the Ghana music genre. Apart from his long participation as ghannej, Zaren produced two of the best Maltese Folklore guitarists in Australia in his sons Charlie and Peter. Zaren has a brother Tony who is also an ghannej. I take the opportunity posthumously to thank him for all his years as a contributor in the Maltese Traditional music scene of Ghana and Prejjem and the information he gave me via interviews for the Maltese radio and others which I recorded for posterity for future generation to benefit by. These will serve to tell the story of Ghana in Australia into the future.
Zaren Attard's monument will be uncovered at Klabb Ghannejja Maltin in St Albans, in Melbourne, Australia, on the 26th of June 2010. This was enabled by contributions from his friends in Australia, Malta and beyond.
*****
Photo 1. Zaren Attard 'il-Bukkacc'
Photo 2. (from left) Zaren 'il-Bukkacc" left, Manwel Sultana 'il-Moni', Jimmy Camilleri 'tal-fjur', Guzeppi Azzopardi 'Ras il-baghal' and Guzeppi Scerri 'it-Toto' (seated)
Photo 3. (from left) Zaren Attard 'il-Bukkacc", Bastjan Micallef 'tar-Rabat', Mikiel Magrin 'iz-Zabbari' and Salvu Galea 'il-Kalora'.
Photo 4. Zaren Attard. 1986
Till next time
Sahha
Manuel
