News • 02 February 2003

Singing yes and no

IVA singers asked to sing ‘No to Europe’

By Matthew Vella

SAN GWANN - The celebrity casts which for long had been stockpiled in the Labour and Nationalist TV ateliers have now also arrived at a crossroads. The appearance of singers and other sundry personalities on a YES to EU melody, produced by the Nationalist Party, did much to stir the waters back at the Labour Party headquarters.

Not least due to the appearance of singers who, in layman’s terms, strayed onto the other side after having had their voices featured on the YES camp’s sing-song. Singers contacted by MaltaToday quashed any rumours that pressure from the NO camp was used in any way to have them featured on a song produced by Super One.

For one singer whose Senglea roots had her billed as a Super One favourite, EU accession seemed to have transcended partisan pique when 1998 Eurovision third runner-up Chiara featured in the YES camp’s song. Chiara however refused to comment when MaltaToday asked her whether there had been any pressure from Super One TV to join the NO song crew. She also refused to divulge the reasons for participating in the YES song.

Singers participating in the YES tune produced by the PN have confirmed with MaltaToday that they were subsequently invited by Super One TV to take part in a ‘no to EU’ song.

2001 Malta Song for Europe winner Fabrizio Faniello was dubbed to have accepted both ianvitations from both sides, but told MaltaToday his management abroad were still considering Super One’s invitation. Faniello has already contributed to the YES camp’s EU song.

Singer Nadine Axisa was more vocal on her behalf, saying political pique lies at the heart of Labour’s decision to contact the same singers who sang the YES song. Axisa also denied any rumours of undue pressure from Super One TV, but believed singers did not have to be politicised in such a contest.

Lawrence Gray’s manager Peter Busuttil told MaltaToday that Super One called the singers to do their song after having done the YES jingle, and that it would have been stupid to do both songs.

"It is normal practice for Lawrence to sing for both Nationalist and Labour events. What is not normal practice is that he fools people by singing for such an issue for two opposed polarities."

Mr Busuttil denied any form of pressure from Super One.

Singer Miriam-Christine Borg told MaltaToday she was also asked to sing for the NO song, after taking part in the YES song:

"I declined the invitation because I was already saying something different because I felt I had to be there. It would have been very conflicting to say two different things at the same time.

"Some of my friends were in fact worried about what choice they had to take when facing both invitations. But I disagree with singing two different tunes, and find it highly unethical."

Miriam-Christine denied there was any form of pressure from Super One:

"I was told by Super One that I had always been invited onto their programmes when I was first starting out. From my part, I am very grateful, but I was also giving them a service as well. I don’t know if they will keep on inviting me on their programmes. I have to say that in the last four years, I was not invited as much as I used to be prior to the last elections.

"The one thing I can say that really bothered me was the fact that a friend of mine who appeared on the YES song with me, told me she had been told by Super One that ‘everyone’ was going to do the NO song. Obviously they hadn’t, since they hadn’t even ‘phoned me yet."

matthew@maltamag.com