The clear sound of Il-Maltija drifted across Republic Street, Valletta, while a little monkey drummed away to the beat, drawing the crowds.
They stopped to get a closer look at the terramaxka, which Mari Van Rooij bought to replace the one destroyed in a fire eight months ago.
He was greeted with a warm welcome by passers-by who asked him whether he had managed to restore his old terramaxka.
The original 1929 barrel organ was, however, completely silenced after flames engulfed the Gudja garage where it was kept last May. The 72-key Carl Frei organ with façade, five figures and organ books had an approximate value of €110,000.
However, Mr Van Rooij, who has yet to receive any insurance compensation for his loss, could not wait to be out in Valletta again.
Following extensive searches on the continent he managed to track down a 1936 barrel organ in Paris.
It was sent to The Netherlands to be restored and finally arrived in Malta a few weeks ago.
“It feels great to be out and about. Finally there’s some respite in the weather and I can hit the streets again.
“This terramaxka is smaller than the previous one but it’s more manageable,” Mr Van Rooij said.
The new music box is 56-key and weighs only 700 kilos, compared with the 72-key, two-tonne Carl Frei organ, and cost him €30,000.
Mr Van Rooij also had to replace his music books, since they are now smaller.
He already has 55 music books, including a number of Maltese tunes.
“I hope to get more in the future, but each one costs between €150 and €200. I will take things one step at a time. At least, finally, after all this time I am back,” he said, as he jigged around to the music.
Barrel organs, which used to be very popular in Malta towards the end of the 19th century, were originally hand-operated and the operator had to wind them up manually, building air up inside an internal compartment, which was then fed to the wind pipes to produce melodies.
Today, a battery-powered motor takes the strain but that in no way detracts from the magical tunes emanating from its pipes.