Start your day on a sunny note: two Labour anthems sung by Ray Axisa
You may know the second song already because I had uploaded it here some days ago (‘Hay Hay Labour’). But the first below is a revelation. It’s all cracked philosophising in rhyme about how much better Labour was for Malta, starting with the first and immortal line:
FTAKAR LI FI ZMIEN IL-GVERN TAL-LABOUR IS-SINJUR KIEN IL-BATUT, HEY HEY HEY
I played that line back several times, thinking I couldn’t possibly have heard it right. But still all I could get was that.
And because it is the first line, I thought there was some mistake, and this couldn’t be Ray Axisa singing because it’s an anti-Labour song. But I carried on listening, and it’s all about how great and fantastic Labour was, is and will be.
And then it clicked. FTAKAR LI FI ZMIEN IL-GVERN TAL-LABOUR IS-SINJUR KIEN IL-BATUT is actually a boast, something to be proud of. Unbelievable.
Please would somebody try to decipher the line which follows that, something about ross mil-hanut. Bunch of freaks. And take note that ‘sinjur’ has nothing to do with money in this context or in the Labour mentality in general. ‘Sinjur’ is somebody like, say, me. But Sandro Chetcuti of Labour’s Business Forum and Labour MP Marlene Farrugia (formerly Pullicino Orlando), with their grillions and their extensive property portfolios, are not ‘sinjur’. Le, dawk hamalli tal-flus. U l-ohrajn, dawk li noboghdu, dawk sinjuri bla flus.
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The second line is
‘Bonus u zidied kbar fil-pagi u rohs minn tal-hanut.’
Regarding the first line, it could have two distinct meanings. It could have the rather benign meaning that the poorest people under the labour party were also rich or the more lanzit-influenced one of boasting that the sinjuri, which they hated so much, were given a good walloping.
Either way, apart from the walloping bit, it’s all hogwash.
When was the last time a study was carried out to compare wages, ranges of goods in shops and prices between the seventies and today or between pre EU accession and post EU accession Malta?
One gets the impression these people lived in a completely different universe.
INCREASE IN WAGES? Mintoff froze wages in the 1980s, for about half a decade.
Yet again, these are songs from the early 90s. I can assure you that none of these songs were used in the past two elections as far as I can remember.
[Daphne – So what are these, John? Incidentally, you seem very well informed about electoral anthems for somebody who claims to live in the United States.]
But then again, what do you expect from a flopped “singer” such as Ray Axisa? He might have been popular back in the 70s. By recording these songs in the 90s, he did what Aretha Franklyn is doing today – trying to get back in the spotlight but all she’s doing is ruining her reputation with her strained voice.
Some people should realise when their moment of fame is over and retire in all their glory.
[Daphne – I couldn’t agree more. But sadly for us all, that’s a message Karmenu Vella, Alex Sceberras Trigona, Joe Grima, Joe Debono Grech and the rest of them just won’t take on board.]
Well its simple, I was in Malta during the past 2 elections :) No brainer there.
[Daphne – But not in the 1990s.]
Yes I was. I moved to the US a few years ago.
Anke l-muzika jikkupjaw dawn in-nies? Jafu jkunu originali?
Qabda dilettanti, neqsin mill-idejat u l-kreattivita.
U bil-pruzunzzjoni kollha jipprezentaw lilhom nfushom sabiex imexxu pajjiz. Veru kaz tal-qahba milli jkollha taghtik.
It’s things like this, and others, which convince me more and more not to vote Labour. They do a better job at convincing me to vote PN than the PN themselves do.
The second stanza talks about how under the PN ‘il-haddiem ma jistax joqghod kwiet minhabba t-transfers li qala’. That’s rich.
Watching this, the prospect of having Labour governing the country becomes even more scary.
Who is Ray Axisa?
Jista jkun li John Attard Montaldo se jsir batut skond Ray Axisa? Forsi jista jispjega ruhu ahjar!
Labour supporters still refer to the upper social classes as ‘Is-Sinjuri’, as in ‘is-sinjuri kellhom il-vot’.
In Labour’s language, “Sinjur” is someone who does not vote Labour, and for that reason, should be made to pay out of his wealth and taxes.
They will never get the real wealth.
It’s something we don’t have to give up, given their refusal to accept. Anyone who thinks this is snobbery doesn’t have a clue what the republic is. As long as Labour remains materially aspirational, the yearn to struggle is an obstacle.
Lip service to citizenship, ‘ic-cittadin l-ewwel, middle class gdida’ and nothing to one’s self-respect.
I think that first line means “the poor man was in fact the lord/owner/master”. Now that’s an oxymoron if ever saw one. Apart from the obvious fallacy of the statement, it simply cannot be. If X was a batut he could neither be rich nor a lord.
I didn’t listen to the anthems mind you. My day is already rotten as it is.
‘Ftakar’ could be directed at Joseph, the sequence gives importance to the old Torca bearing crowds whereas the images of the new leader, the FZL and PL logos are barely visible.
The second song also refers to the ‘partit taghna’. The PN is just the consistent adversary.
It’s also significant how the video ends with Joseph sitting next to Lawrence Gonzi.
BONUS!!!
Overtime bit-time in lieu (u ma tohodhom qatt ghax titlifhom wara sena) U (jekk niftakar sew) 4 sieghat is-sibt b’xejn ‘ghal pajjiz’
Tghidx kemm konna nidivertu b’dak il-BONUS.
Do these people know what copyright is? They think it’s smart using the tune of ‘Luglio’ and changing the lyrics possibly because the copyright owners would never notice?
Mine is mine, and yours is mine.
Wow x’ injoranza ta’ songs.
Seems this guy has nothing to do but make songs and videos for the PL. Do they pay him for this? Can’t believe he does them for fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh3syleKOlM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQa_ro5W6-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iryDVhfrKs4&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnOr6kmHgzE&feature=relmfu
The last one is a real masterpiece
Malta was wrong to choose Joseph Calleja as our cultural ambassador. I’m all for this Axisa! And knowing Labour, it could well happen if they are ever given the chance to govern.