Unashamedly irreverent and disturbingly funny, Ċikku l-Poplu – singer, showman and commedian-extraordinaire – has become Malta’s favourite anti-hero. Ramona Depares gets him to spill the beans before his next show on Friday.
The poster for last Saturday’s Ċikku l-Poplu show carried the tagline The Referendum Special. But it’s not like Ċikku l-Poplu, Alexander Vella Gregory’s mischievous alter-ego, needs a hook for his jokes to stick. Luckily for his fans, Ċikku l-Poplu is not exactly renowned for holding back and his spot-on commentary about typical Maltese idiosyncrasies never fails to elicit the laughs. Well, more like the guffaws. Which is why this Friday promises to be as big a laugh-fest as last Saturday.
Nothing is too sacred for Ċikku to tackle and, along with the laughs, the audience generally finds itself nursing a slightly nagging feeling at the back of its collective mind. The kind that makes you start to wonder whether we’re all living a lifestyle that has become too comfortably numb. Not if Ċikku has anything to do with it, of course.
How was Ċikku l-Poplu born?
Ċikku l-Poplu was born by accident almost! Originally the idea was for an edgy and satirical cabaret show involving various people, and certainly not involving myself as a singer! That opportunity came when I was asked to do an opening act for Hunter’s Palace at the now defunct Warehouse No. 8. The act was known as Kanti Mhux Daqshekk Popolari, and it went down very well. It was for this act that I wrote Diska tal-Eurovision, a song that remained popular afterwards. A few months later I was contacted by Nicole Cuschieri and Zvezdan Reljic about a possible cabaret show and that gave birth to Burlesque, a series of cabaret-style shows that we still put up from time to time. The first Burlesque was a rather experimental affair and I repeated a part of the Kanti act. The audience loved it and lo and behold, Ċikku l-Poplu was born!
How would you describe the personality of Ċikku l-Poplu?
I suppose Ċikku is both a misfit and an ordinary person rolled into one. The character of Ċikku encompasses all the grievances, musings and curiosities that everyone has, hence the name (Ċikku l-Poplu translates into Joe Citizen from Maltese). Unlike the greater part of the local music scene, Ċikku does not provide escapist entertainment, but deals with issues head-on.
There are not many local singers or bands singing about politics, social injustice and other local issues, but this is precisely the stuff I sing about. My songs talk about censorship, divorce, paedophilia, homophobia…not many artists are willing to tackle these issues in Malta. But more importantly, Ċikku is honest with himself. I used to think of Ċikku as an act, but I realised that Ċikku is an integral part of me; the irreverent humour, the passion for social justice, the raw emotions and the unyielding inquisitiveness. That is who Ċikku is.
This style of humour is relatively new to Malta. Do you get negative reactions?
Yes, and I am not in the least bothered by it. On the contrary, it’s what keeps the act going. Because I deal with current issues, reactions tend to be very personal. “Why did you not mention this?” or “No, I don’t agree with you on that.”
This is what I want, to have people react. We have landed ourselves in a very dangerous position, we have become totally passive towards politics and social justice. We have a laissez-faire attitude that allows extremism and fundamentalism to flourish, not to mention a neglect of education. I am sad to see the younger generation largely incapable of formulating an opinion, or mouthing what has been drummed into them like the proverbial parrot.
But what makes this kind of humour so rare to encounter locally?
Fear; fear of being different, fear of not toeing the line, fear of not belonging to an accepted social group.
Do you consider yourself as some kind of hero?
Not at all, I am an ordinary citizen who does not accept blindly what others declare dogma. But instead of being apocalyptical about it, I use humour. We are fed up of all the slapstick humour and teatrin and some of us have forgotten that real humour also has the power to make us think. Sure, I make people laugh…but I also make them think.
Where do you get your inspiration?
That is probably the easiest part of all! Inspiration is all around me. Newspapers, television, internet and people in general. I am amazed at the levels of hypocrisy or ignorance that still persist in our society. The worst thing about it is that most people refuse to see things for what they are. So I end up in a surreal situation where I am inspired not only by what surrounds me, but also by how people react to it!
It is said that satire is appreciated particularly when the majority of society is frustrated. Do you agree?
I do not know whether that statement is true, but we are definitely a frustrated society. We show a deep mistrust of anything that is foreign and unusual, and are deeply suspicious of new ideas. Very often even our satire is frustrating to watch.
If you look at the various satirical items on television you realise that the humour is often cheap ‘get-a-quick-laugh’ humour and that trivialities are preferred to serious issues. It is incredibly difficult to create good satire. For starters, you need artists who are intelligent in their approach to the subject. You also must not take yourself seriously. Good satire starts with being able to poke fun at yourself. Ċikku l-Poplu is all about that; he doesn’t take himself too seriously, let alone others.
What do you have planned for tonight’s show at Coach & Horses?
Planned? Oh dear, I didn’t realise I had to have a plan! I do draw up a songlist, but I always adapt to the mood of the audience. What I can promise is the appearance of Ġiġa (aka Marie-Louise Vella), who is a relatively new singer, but she has a fantastic voice. She will be singing two songs of mine, based on the infamous story of Ġiġa. I can also promise two (possibly three) brand new songs! And of course, I can promise everyone a good night out!
So when can we expect a Cikku l-Poplu CD?
Soon! I’ve been putting this off for some time, but I guess I have to go for it now! My only worry is that Ċikku l-Poplu on CD will not be the same as live!
Cikku l-Poplu will be taking part in You Rarely Hear This On Radio 2 on Friday June 3 at V-Gen in Paceville. The show is for a mature audience.