FMLA Newsletter Issue 12 September 2011 Maltese-Canadian Victor Micallef Shines with The Canadian Tenors Story about this talented Toronto resident on page 6. From the Editor’s Desk: MORE Music In Our Lives Not long ago in the Maltese Link, I wrote about the important role music always has in the lives of Maltese emigrants, describing the many family and social events that took place in New York City when my mother was growing up. Today, we leave New York and go to Toronto to meet Victor Micallef, a Maltese-Canadian, who is part of the Canadian Tenors. Victor began his music training at the piano was he was four, but he also liked singing. Very shy by his own admission, Victor‟s father, the late Joe encouraged him to sing at St. Paul‟s Church, in Toronto‟s Maltese community. He sang solo in the choir at Mass and also at weddings, funerals, and special programs at the church. Sadly, his father passed away when he was 16, but Micallef kept on with the piano lessons and singing. It was this early nurturing in the Toronto Maltese community, he says, that was instrumental in who he is today and what he is doing. When he was 16, Victor began formal voice lessons and later went on to the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto to earn a Bachelor‟s degree in vocal performance. Flash forward: This once shy performer is now one of the Canadian Tenors, an ensemble of four men who have mesmerized audiences throughout the world with their solo and collective voices. I spoke with Victor earlier this month when he was back in Toronto to record a new album (the Tenors‟ second). He says he is on the road often, and actually clocked in more than 300 days away from home last year, but was happy to speak with the Maltese Link about how his Maltese background, his family‟s interest in music and the encouragement of the Maltese community all played into his vocal career. You can read more about Victor and The Canadian Tenors beginning on page 6. ● ● ● ● ● And now from the “Our Language is Not Dead Yet” file: Just this morning while riding a bus to the subway that takes me to New York City for work, I met a Gozitan couple and a mutual Gozitan friend. Of course, we spoke (they much better than I!) in Maltese. People around us noticed we were speaking something “different.” Their heads perked. This should not have been unusual because we hear Spanish, Creole, and Arabic on the bus every day. Two people politely asked what language we were speaking. I smiled. “Maltese,” I said proudly. Saћћa u sliem dejjem! Claudia Caruana ■ SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 2 From The President: The Teaching of Maltese History In the August issue of study of history at the tertiary level (see Maltese Link, I gave a article on this topic by Prof Henry Frendo: rather dismal but, I „Save Maltese History‟, The Times, March believe, realistic picture of 27, 2009). the state of Maltese If these changes are bad enough for language maintenance students in Malta, they are even more among second and ominous for Maltese living abroad who subsequent generations of consider that one essential link between us Maltese origin. I also and those living in Malta is precisely the referred to the possibility that our culture history that we share, not geography, not might, however, linger on based on other health education, not home economics. supportive structures which might be Such a move will drive a wedge deeper independent of the ability to speak the between us, and separate us even further. language. This would include, in particular, a knowledge of Maltese history. Gone also are all hopes of having students in Malta studying some aspects of migration The news has, however, reached us that history that was emphasized at the even this bastion of culture is now under Migrants' Conventions held in Malta, and threat. Changes are afoot within the which we were led to believe were not only Education Department in Malta that aim to desirable but also achievable. change all this. In struggling to maintain our culture, we Up till now, secondary school students have have encouraged the teaching of Maltese had one lesson a week in Maltese history history. In some places, such as in (two lessons in Forms 1 and 2 at the Junior Melbourne, we have set up a Maltese Lyceum). This will continue for the next Historical Association with the aim of scholastic year, after which the new National reminding ourselves of our history. As part Curriculum Framework, currently in a of the Migration Museum Project, a „virtual consultation phase, is expected to kick in. museum‟ website has been set up Within this new framework, history as a (www.maltamigration.com) which contains subject will disappear altogether and will be the most comprehensive information about amalgamated within a subject called migration history, including full texts of „Citizenship Education,‟ which combines the several books written by Fr. Lawrence study of history with social studies, Attard, who has chronicled Maltese geography, personal and health education, emigration through the 1800s to the and home economics. It is expected that all present. these subjects will be allowed 2-3 lessons We also were hoping that the scholarships per week (3-5 lessons in Forms 1 and 2). promised by the Education Ministry could be We believe this is a retrograde step, and used by young people to upgrade their would deal a near-mortal blow to our knowledge of Maltese history, so essential to concept of history as underlying our concept culture maintenance. of culture. Without in any way denigrating It would be a great shame if all this is the value of the other subjects included allowed to disappear within a vague melée within this framework, we believe that this without any obvious benefit to anyone in concoction will dilute the very idea of history particular. Those of us who are old enough, within the curriculum. those who left the Maltese islands prior to There are serious implications also to the SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 3 Independence, when the study of history After many meetings with the Board, was restricted to reading passages from a correspondence with the Government of single book which was often neither Malta, and consultations with the interesting nor accurate, will understand the community, the first class of approximately lacuna that existed then. 25 students was started in 1977 at St. James School in Toronto‟s West-End. Are we going back to those days? Darmanin was instrumental in initiating the We still are hoping that the promised first Maltese Heritage Program, and in Cultural Institute will have some role to play succeeding years, he remained a resource in ensuring that Maltese history is widely person should the Maltese Heritage Program disseminated and that every effort will be require his services or advice. made to ensure that all individuals of In 1979, the classes were moved to their Maltese origin, whether currently living in present location at James Culnan Catholic Malta or abroad, will have a good grasp of School in West Toronto. The number of their history. students attending the Saturday morning For more details relating to the proposed sessions, at that time, was approximately curriculum framework see: 100. Students were divided into three or https://secure2.gov.mt/meef/Page.aspx?pid four classes, depending on their knowledge =543 level of the Maltese language. The curriculum was developed for elementary Maurice Cauchi ■ school-aged children. Many Maltese Canadians have moved out of Maltese Heritage metropolitan Toronto to the suburbs in the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, unfortunately, Program Thrives in there has been a decrease in the number of Toronto students attending the program. Presently, the number of students is approximately 20, with a staff of two instructors and a volunteer student assistant. The Metro Separate School Board supplies 2½ hours of instruction per week (on Saturdays) for elementary school-age children. The instructors provide lessons in Maltese, and lessons in history and cultural insights. The instructors are Carmen Galea, Cheryl Bezzina, and Ritienne Bonello. The Maltese Heritage Program also participates in various community functions, such as singing Maltese Christmas carols at Carmen M. Galea, Instructor – Maltese the Seniors‟ Christmas dinner hosted every Heritage Program. year by the Maltese Canadian Federation, as well as participating at the Imnarja picnic, One of the first School Boards in Ontario to which takes place the last Sunday in June. encourage the promotion and education of an emigrant‟s cultural background was the Since the program began, the message of Metropolitan Separate School Board “Il-Priedka tat-Tifel” (Traditional “Boy‟s (MSSB). In the 1970s, Toronto‟s Separate Sermon”) has always been delivered by a School Board approached Godwin Darmanin, student from the Maltese Heritage Class. a Maltese emigrant, who conceived the idea of starting Maltese Heritage Classes in a [email protected] West-End school. Carmen M. Galea ■ SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 4 Joe Sherri on Courtesy Visit to H.E. Dr. George Abela, President of Malta Joe Sherri, President of the Maltese events, clubs and the Maltese Canadian Canadian Federation, last month, paid a Federation. courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. George Abela at The President of Malta thanked the Maltese San Anton Palace. Canadian community for their donation last The President of Malta paid tribute to the Christmas to the L-Istrina Community Chest Maltese communities abroad and expressed Fund. special interest in both the challenges facing All the Maltese clubs in Canada fall under the Maltese community in Canada as well as the umbrella of the Maltese Canadian their many successes and achievements.