Culture fusion in aid of charity

Six-year-old Renzo Spiteri was roaming the house when he discovered two thick pencils discarded by a builder - they were the first drumsticks that would take him on a long journey of world music.

"I'd bang on anything with the pencils (a yellow and a red one), destroying school books as I tested different sounds produced by different thickness - they have been my companions since," he said, sipping a cappuccino.

Today Mr Spiteri, 39, has access to as many drumsticks as he desires, playing with artists of international repute - from Turkey, to China, and Africa to name a few - and becoming one of the most sought after percussionists on the island.

On September 2, he will be reuniting with N'faly Kouyaté from the Republic of Guinea to give an open-air concert of kora, a string harp-lute used by the people of West Africa, and percussion at the Verdala Palace, Buskett, in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

The two musicians had first performed together in Malta in January to a sell-out concert and they are hoping to stir the audience with some new pieces at the upcoming concert, under the patronage of President Eddie Fenech Adami and Mrs Fenech Adami.

Mr Kouyaté, who lectures in Belgian universities, has performed at the International Festival of Jazz in Montreal, Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Summer Festival in Quebec, SummerStage in New York, and the Womad in Australia, among others.

Mr Spiteri and Mr Kouyaté got together after the latter's manager discovered Mr Spiteri's cross-cultural performances on the internet and was interested in creating a fusion of the two cultures through world music.

"When I was much younger I would dream of performing at the Mediterranean Conference Centre; I used to think of that venue as a milestone. I had never forecast I'd be where I am today," Mr Spiteri said, his grey-blue eyes twinkling in a smile.

With his bush of curly hair and trademark beard, Mr Spiteri has been a recognisable face for years, making a name for himself by exposing the Maltese public to new sounds.

Reminiscing about his past, Mr Spiteri recounted that the beard is the result of his rebellious sixth form days when he used to leave a bit of "cactus" stubble as the perfect excuse to be sent home by the headmaster.

Mr Spiteri's music is a product of his own making and he was not born into a family that was musically inclined.

"I have none of those romantic stories where my dad was a great jazz pianist and I followed him into the nightclubs.

Percussion was a natural evolution for me and whenever the family was invited to some reception where there was a live band, I'd be rooted to the spot, remembering the tunes and not taking my eyes off the drummer," he recalled.

As a teenager he would spend hours listening to albums of the rock band Rush, analysing every tune by the drummer Neil Peart before attempting to reproduce the sounds.

Soon afterwards he bought his first drum kit with the money he had saved from a summer job and with some help from his parents. He would spend every spare minute he had practising, a move that would land him his first gig.

"My neighbour, a guitarist, heard me playing from his room and approached me to audition for the band Haze. By day I went to school and by night I would be rehearsing with the rockers in a garage," he said, with a hearty laugh.

At first he learnt a lot on his own, but he then decided to pursue his studies to learn what "those little music notes mean".

He commenced his studies in drums and percussion at the Johann Strauss School of Music moving on to the university where he graduated with a thesis entitled The Role Of Percussion In West African Societies, before furthering his studies in Italy.

Fast forward a few years and Mr Spiteri is today one of the most prolific multi-percussionists on the island playing a variety of musical genres from jazz to classical, fusion and world music.

Those who wish to relish the music produced by Mr Spiteri and Mr Kouyaté, while doing their bit for charity, should keep September 2 free. Tickets at Lm 5 are available from the Malta Community Chest Fund, The Palace, Valletta, by calling on 2123 1350/2124 0568 or by contacting St James Cavalier, Valletta on 2122 3216 or send an e-mail to boxoffice@sjcav.org. For more information call on 9949 0057.

Verdala Palace will be open for viewing after the performance.