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This article and accompanying Bertoon appeared in the 17th May 2009 edition of the Malta Independent on Sunday

It was Founder’s Day this Friday. Most people who have not been lucky enough to have spent at least part of their formative years in the hands of the Lasallian brothers (or Frères) the words Founder’s Day would have no meaning. To those who like myself spent the urchin part of their education in Gzira or Cottonera Founder’s Day meant the day we celebrated the life and works of Jean Baptist de la Salle – a geezer from Rheims whose riches to rags transformation created a wondrous world of vocation and teaching. In truth, to the child at school ,Founder’s Day meant two things: summer uniforms and shorter school days, yet in many ways Jean de la Salle was my first exposure to the ideas of faith and devotion.

I must confess (ironically) that the Augustinian brothers in Paceville did not exactly tickle my fancy in the belief department (must have been the obnoxious concept of duttrina). In fact, my next update on hagiography would involve the sterner images of Aloysius, Ignatius and Francis under the stonefaced guidance of the soldiers of Christ (S.J).) but I would always remain impressed by these manifestations of inspired faith long after being exposed to the more uncontrolled, frenzied and blind devotion present in everyday Mediterranean life and best seen on festa days.

A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to be present at a concert by the wonderful Italian musical genius who goes by the name of Vinicio Capossela. One of the songs from his new album is called “L’Uomo Vivo”. The live performance involves circus-themed human pinatas, men on stilts giants and magicians so I was thrown a little bit of track as to the real theme behind it. Yet, hidden in the melodic tunes, the loud chants and the almost frenzied fervour with which the maestro led the crowd to a collective ecstasy of dancing I couldn’t help feeling that there was something strangely familiar.

Charles Flores writing in today’s Independent, for more of the drivel click here:

Today, it is acknowledged by most well-meaning citizens of both the Right and the Left – as well as that important minority at the ill-defined centre of Maltese politics – that what did it for the party in government was the habitual influx, from across the water, of the blue brigade of expatriate Maltese. These people live overseas, particularly in Europe, and quickly grab the cheap, don’t-mind-if-we-don’t-make-a-profit Air Malta ticket on offer and take time off from their politically-sponsored, safe jobs on the Continent to take part in a confidence trick that so obviously works when the other party has, for some reason or other, not garnered enough support to activate to the desired degree an electoral swing.

It’s Labour… Daphne style. J’accuse feels personally involved, so here are a few comments from an expat member of the “blue brigade”:

1. Fairy Tales

Flores claims of stories abounding of people wanting to find a place on the subsidised flight who were first refused then allowed on to what turned out to be a half-empty flight. Is it possible these persons are nowhere to be seen or heard? Or is it like his colleague Gino Cauchi writing in yesterday’s Times claiming that he could not find someone to go to Court and bear witness against a member of his own family who had come to vote from abroad? Continues…

Following AC Milan’s surrender at Udine, Internazionale di Milano were crowned champions of Italy without kicking a ball. Not that they are not used to it. With this Scudetto Inter are now at minus ten scudetti from record holder Juventus – on paper. On the pitch, Juventus would be at quota 29 and Inter would have just won their 16th Scudetto. That would mean a real score of meno tredici.

The artist Vinicio Capossela was inspired by the feast of  The Risen Christ in Scicli to write a song about the spectacle. I first heard the song live in the Rockhal in Luxembourg where it was presented as a part of a circus-themed spectacle where it was introduced as a song about a “Human Pinata”. The whole inspiration of the story of the risen saviour and the feast was lost on the crowd at Rockhal. It was only after when I could not get the chorus of “Gio-Gio-Ia” out of my head that I discovered the real story behind the man “con i raggi sulla schiena”.

The familiarity with the tune, the band club music, the festa atmosphere and the celebration all became much more clear. It was all there – the briju, the daqq and above all the frenzied devotion – even when hidden, perhaps wrongly, behind a different storyline. The Mediterranean blood of a thousand festas had immediately warmed to the story and now that I can read the words and familiarise with the man who is exploding with joy after having defeated deathI can truly enjoy the wonderful work of art that is Vinicio Capossela.

Kristu Rxoxt will never look the same again.

Artiste: Vinicio Capossela
Chanson: L’uomo Vivo (Inno Al Gioia)

Ha lasciato il calvario e il sudario
Ha lasciato la croce e la pena
Si è levato il sonno di dosso e adesso per sempre per sempre è con noi

Se il Padre eterno l’aveva abbandonato
Ora i paesani se l’hanno accompagnato
Che grande festa poterselo abbracciare
Che grande festa portarselo a mangiare

Ha raggi sulla schiena irradia gio-gio-ia
Le dita tese indicano gio-gio-ia
Esplodono le mani per la gio-gio-ia
Si butta in braccio a tutti per la gio-gio-ia

E’ pazzo di gioia, è un uomo vivo
Si butta di lato, non sa dove andare
E’ pazzo di gioia e è un uomo vivo
Di spalla in spalla di botta in botta le sbandate gli fanno la rotta

As the expat community in Luxembourg (and not only) awaits with bated breath for the announcement that bookings on the “special flight” are open – in order to begin the scramble for the rare weekend home – citizens of other countries who currently reside in the Duchy approach the MEP elections with relative calm.

Malta seems to be the only democracy with special needs. In India, a man reported to be 127 years old walked 4 km to get to the polling booth in Himachal Pradesh. Bhadaru (who claims to be 150 years old) has had his measure of walking for democracy:

“When Mahtama Gandhi came to Shimla, I along with some other village folks trekked 60 kilometers to the city to get a glimpse of him. But they killed him later.’’

We are working on fixing a Fatal Error caused by a naughty widget. Normal service (and facade) will be repristinated as soon as possible.

The nasty widget problem has been solved. J’accuse has (hopefully) been returned to proper working order. Should you still find anything that merits our engineer’s attention then email me. I will try to google the answer at the earliest opportunity.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.