Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder inspired Irish guitarist and songwriter Michael Joyce to pen a tribute song in response to what is being perceived as the passivity of the artistic community to the events that unfolded since.
The song, We Are Daphne, also features American singer Zoe Langsdale and is accompanied by a video featuring extensive news footage related to the event as well as stills from the various vigils and protests held throughout the past 12 months.
Both song and video were commissioned by Andrew Galea, a screenwriter based in Ireland, with the idea germinating in the seaside town of Galway over pints, as Mr Galea shared his disbelief at the radio silence coming from Maltese musicians in the wake of the murder of a journalist. He found an unlikely ally in the Irish musician.
“Michael, too, couldn’t understand the submissiveness of Maltese artists in the face of a government that is systematically dismantling democracy. Our conversation grew to the extent that we decided to do something about it,” Mr Galea said.
Asked what he thought prompted someone essentially removed from the Maltese scene to take a proactive, creative stand, Mr Galea put it down to what he described as the “anti-authoritarian” element in Celtic culture.
“The Irish don’t take kindly to injustice. This characteristic stands in stark contrast to the Maltese slavish adulation of political parties. In fact, it wasn’t long before our chat that Michael had penned something of a response himself, the first incarnation of the lyrics you hear now,” he said.
Mr Galea recounted how, upon hearing the earlier version of We Are Daphne, he found the song powerful and evocative enough that he wanted to get it out to the public.
“While we talked about it as a protest song, I realised that Michael had actually managed to convey more than mere anger with his lyrics and music. There’s the desperation, the sadness, the hope, the camaraderie and the resolve there, too,” he added.
All aspects he felt a need to communicate to the Maltese artistic community. Only one thing remained: finding a singer who could deliver the message with conviction. But as soon as he heard Zoe Langsdale sing, he realised they had found their voice.
Song powerful and evocative enough that he wanted to get it out to the public
“Zoe could hit the notes but, more significantly, she could communicate the ethereal, the innocent and the almost angelic.”
The singer recounted how the song spoke to her as a tool for sending a political message, while providing her with insight into a case with which she was not familiar at first.
“I realised that Daphne’s murder is so relevant to other journalists’ experiences all over the world, even in the US. Music can be an incredibly powerful agent for change and this song was no exception,” she said.
It was clear the singer shared Mr Galea’s and Mr Joyce’s anger. The trio decided to go ahead and approached The Forge Recording Studio to pitch the project.
“Chris Crehan, who runs the studio, was so taken by the story of an intrepid journalist who was brutally murdered – and by the subsequent farcical investigations and inquiries – that he put in overtime, investing himself personally into the project, sharing numerous drafts and edits of the song with us until we got it to a point where we felt it was just right,” Mr Galea recalled.
Once the music aspect was finalised, Mr Galea decided they needed an accompanying video that would attempt to do the music and lyrics justice.
Filming was organised with the assistance of Galway’s The Blackgate Cultural Centre (the video actually features some of the staff) and, from there, the road ahead was clear: the idea was that the video would be used as a rallying call for others, serving as a vehicle to support independent journalism in Malta.
The video is also part of an online crowdfunding campaign in aid of The Shift News, for which Mr Galea writes.
The result is a song and video he defined as being “essentially rock music, really, if you take rock music to be about questioning power, defying convention and challenging the status quo”.
The video also refers to other journalists assassinated in recent times, including Slovak investigative reporter Jan Kuciak, Tripura journalist Sudip Datta Bhaumik and Swedish journalist Kim Wall.
“So many musicians in Malta like the posturing and posing but seem to forget that rock music was originally an expression of rebellion,” Mr Galea said.
“If you’re kowtowing to the government, be it explicitly or through your indifference, then you’re effectively performing the role of a satyr, wheeled out to entertain and distract the masses. Traditionally, artists are the ones to burst the bubble but, in Malta, they seem to act as reinforcers of the status quo.
“There’s a servility, a timidity, a limpness in the artistic community in Malta that’s quite bemusing, with some notable exceptions, of course,” he said.
Asked what he believe was the reason behind this passivity, Mr Galea mentioned fear.
“Then again, what exactly are artists in Malta quite so afraid of? Do their contracts and job offers matter so much more to them than the future they’re leaving for their family, friends and children?” he said.
The video can be streamed on YouTube.