UK music blog reviews Air Malta’s promo video: “The island’s ruling oligarchy consists of apologists for some of the world’s ghastliest regimes”
Last March, the tenor Joseph Calleja made a promotional video for Air Malta. Britain’s leading blog about the world of classical music had this to say:
INTERNATIONAL TENOR FILMS PROMO FOR HIS ISLAND
This is Joseph Calleja’s second advertisement for his native Malta and the novelty is wearing off. The island’s ruling oligarchy consists of apologists for some of the world’s ghastliest regimes, starting with Iran. It was about to host a state visit with full honours for Viktor Yanukovych before the Ukrainian nation toppled its corrupt president.
Not that you’d know from Joseph’s video.
Beneath there are three comments. One of them says:
I thought the airline advert was rather funny but this is excruciatingly banal.
And another says:
Used to be great fans of the late Colonel Gaddafi.
We in Malta know about the ruling oligarchy that consists of apologists for some of the world’s ghastliest regimes. We even know that some people who think themselves ultra-liberal voted them in (idiots, to use the kindest word I can think of). But what we didn’t know is that we have wonderfully empty roads like these from Rabat down to Valletta.
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What a promo! Portraying a typical trait of the island – obesity, fattened by food glorious food not euros, appointments and promotions.
This promo is ridiculous. This NOT the real Malta. What Air Malta portrays here is tranquility, as though it’s New Zealand or the Shetlands.
The truth is Blue Lagoon is where people and boats are sandwiched like sardines on toast; Paceville is full of savages galore; Bugubba is like Gaza without the bombs; village cores have been destroyed by development; streets are dirty and there is untidiness even in the capital, and traffic is gridlocked on main roads.
I don’t want to trash my country but Malta is a lousy tourist destination if you don’t know where to go.
Don’t expect the MTA to promote any traffic congestions or the man made maghtab hill, as well as the new permission for a silo just beside – bieb u ghatba ma – wheat silo which supplies 70% of all bakeries.
You might ask where are the journalists? Some are busy blocking twitter or facebook accounts whilst others have their hands full with pensioners doing all kinds of misfits like falling into cistern or hitting a car.
I meant a cement silo next to the wheat silo.
This is a silly comment. Our most popular destination is London, but you don’t see Whitechapel, Leyton and Hounslow in the adverts.
Similarly, I’m sure you wear clothes and maybe even make an effort to follow the latest trends in fashion, but you pay no attention to the sweatshops in Asia where your attire was made.
Advertising, my friend.
Don’t they work with heavy machinery like cranes in February? They are all over the island and in every other street. Some tranquility.
Besides a manager, Joseph Calleja needs a PR person to take care of his image, pronto. Going on Facebook to trace his stolen Pajero…..
“Then I take a Kinnie with ice and I know I am home.”
CRINGE.
We think Malta is the best place in the world but whoever sees this and is not Maltese will wonder what the hell Joseph Calleja and Air Malta are on about.
He still remembers the smell of fireworks, bread in Hal Qormi & c. Why is he speaking as though those things are in the past, when he is asking people to visit because they are in the present? And who cares, anyway.
Videos like this one are ridiculous.
Joseph Calleja is ruining his reputation by associating himself with this ruling oligarchy made up of apologies for some of the world’s nastiest regimes, especially now that Air Malta is on the verge of becoming Air China.
Joseph Muscat got one thing right: he gave Malta all the international attention it needed yet he did so for all for the wrong reasons.
“There’s no other island like us.” The clue is in the word ‘island’.
The guy should stick to what he does best. As for the English accent, what can I say? It’s phony
What is phony is his association with the oligarchy.
Why, isn’t he a Laburist? I had assumed he is.
This is the man who purports to be a true MALTESE and who, under the previous government, had a lot to say about national issues, example when he blasted the ‘roofless theatre’ and Renzo Piano’s genius.
Yet when he was asked to give his opinion about the sale of MALTESE citizenship to foreigners with dubious backgrounds he decided to abstain from saying his bit. Sadly, money talks and bullshit walks.
Great voice, but it stops there.
When he commented on the ‘roofless theatre’ he f*** up big time. There are many people who are convinced that the project as implemented is in Malta’s best interest and they were very annoyed by his comments.
I hope he has learnt his lesson.
He seems genuine in wanting to do good for Malta but with a government that is messing up so badly (for example lack of transparency, increased chinafication, support for ‘ghastly regimes’ and lack of respect for the rule of law), it is in his interest to reduce his association with the PL regime.
And then there’s this too:
http://slippedisc.com/2014/11/maltas-star-tenor-gets-his-car-stolen/
A tenor’s voice has an expiry date.
Another one who’s into hedging.
He knew he wasn’t going to top the most well known Maltese list forever.
And just in case it wasn’t obvious, it was made plain to him by that person who thought the place should be eternally his.
A big pity that a great voice has been reduced to pitiful scrounging.
I’m think I spotted the prime minister as his stand-in at one point.
Calleja divides critics and often irritates professionals. He has this old technique and Italianate nature which is reminiscent of Mario Lanza. This suits the record industry’s branding needs and the propaganda of the Maltese oligarchy who is using him to spread the positivity world-wide.
This sounds just like a flashback from ”The Godfather 1”.
Is it only me, but this guy is beginning to get up my nose. (I wish you would allow me exclamations marks.)
Joseph Calleja is treading carefully with this government.
He has a PL adversary in Joseph Lia who in a few years time will be taking over from him.
Calleja should care as he is losing the sympathy and support of many Maltese through his being used by the present government.
After all he was not afraid to ridicule Franco Debono during a speech at the Old University – but that was under the PN administration.
very sad
He should have shot the video during the week between 7 and 8 in the morning to obtain the best views of that road.