De Bee

With her infectious smile and a calming presence which imbues her soft but strong vocals, it’s not hard to see why newcomer Debbie Stivala (better known as De Bee) placed second in this year’s Malta Eurovision Song Contest, surpassing many hardened veterans. With unusual candour, De Bee explains that to her, singing is not merely a job but the ultimate way in which she is able to express her deepest feelings.

“I’m a very reserved person and, to be honest, I find it very hard to share things that I feel even though I would want to. Through music, I somehow manage to let out everything that I’m feeling. Listening to other artistes has really helped me to get through a lot; thank God I have music in my life!”

Raised in a family that loved music and was always singing, it is of little wonder that melody has been a constant presence in De Bee’s life.

One of my earliest memories is of my family and me playing guitars and singing together

“One of my earliest memories is of my family and me playing guitars and singing together at my grandmother’s house in the evenings. That’s really what got me into music to begin with, I really loved those moments.”

Of course, the practising didn’t end there. “I never thought that I would end up singing on stage in front of people, but I was always singing and dancing in front of the mirror at home. I would imagine the rush I would feel from performing, but for me, it was something private that I would do when I was at home alone.

“I never really thought of taking it anywhere, even though I’ve always been able to really lose myself completely in song to such an extent that it becomes almost impossible to pull me out of the stupor I find myself in!”

Everything changed when De Bee turned 18 and went to watch her aunt play for a Gaia Foundation concert. “I was sitting in the audience enjoying the show when, completely out of the blue, my aunt calls me on stage to sing a song with her. It was totally unexpected and I felt really embarrassed, but at the same time, I really enjoyed the thrill of the experience and it made me want to do it again.”

So why the Eurovision?

“I believe that music can make a difference to people’s lives and in Malta, the Eurovision Song Contest is the best way to reach a large audience. I really wanted to share the message of Pin the Middle because it was something that I myself had been through. Life is so short, yet we never take the time to stop for a few minutes to look around and appreciate all the beauty around us.”

Apart from sharing the beautiful message in her song, De Bee was also very excited about working with her fellow band members. “They made me feel young again and, by the end of it, we felt like a family.”

Despite placing second, De Bee has only positive things to say about her experience. “What made me really happy was the feedback that I got from people. Many people came up to me and told me what a good vibe the song had and how much they loved it. I truly appreciated that, and it was lovely to feel like my message was getting across. Ultimately, the whole thing was a wonderful, new experience.”’

Embracing new experiences is clearly an integral part of De Bee’s personality: an adventurous and seasoned traveller, who caught the travel bug from her close circle of friends and hasn’t stopped travelling since.

“I feel that travelling has opened my mind. When I travelled to India I became really aware about other people’s suffering. In fact, my first single Just Like You was released shortly before I visited India and it was almost a way of preparing myself for the poverty and pain that I was bound to see as a result of other people’s greed. At the time, I really felt like I wanted to communicate to everyone how unjust the world was and how greed had corrupted man.”

On asking her about her plans for the future, De Bee gives one of her characteristic smiles.

“I would really like to do some voluntary work in Africa, because it’s always been a dream of mine. However, for the last few years I’ve been constantly on the move and now I’d like to settle here for a little and concentrate on making some awesome music.”

De Bee is excited about her next pro-ject:“Originally, (guitarist and fellow song writer) Ryen and I started to meet up to belt out a few tunes and sing covers together. But pretty soon we started working on our own music. Both of us have this music within us and this need to convey a message. In reality, what we really want is to be able to touch people’s hearts and minds with our music.”

Indeed, if the easy listening, raw and hauntingly beautiful song she shyly played for me makes it to the final cut, I’m pretty sure that they just might manage.