There is no misprint in the title. My friend George Cini told me that good and true citizens of the City still refer to the names of Valletta Streets by their original Italian name. They still say Strada Mercanti or Strada Forni and not the latter day perversion that replaced them. Besides, they generally do not say “Strada” but “Sada”. If you want to know whether a Belti is one with pedigree or not, ask him or her for the address of his or her house. Whoever say “Sada Forni” or some other “Sada” takes the prize.
George deserves a prize for the very well written book he has just presented during a press conference. “Strada Stretta. It-Triq li darba xeghlet il-Belt” is a fine production of Allied Publications. In this book he interviewed several people who lived and worked in Malta’s most eminent red light district. (He did not interview me about my experience there – but for that just keep on reading.) We are told that there was a lot talent in that street and most of it was not practiced for money in seedy bedrooms. There certainly was a lot of prostitution but Sada Stretta was also the birthplace of a great number of Maltese musicians. The list is legion. A good chunk of the book is dedicated to the experiences of these musicians.
We are also told of prostitutes, American sailors, gays, British service men, transvestites, policemen and bar owners. We meet Nina the prostitute who now joined the Neo-Cathecumen movement. She never worked without a ruffjan, a decision which saved her life. We meet Pawlu Curmi il-Pampalun, a good musician who is still active in the Carnival scene. Vinny Vella speaks of the bands whose sounds filled the air filled with the smell of beer and sweat. Guze Curmi tells us about their relationship with servicemen and Ganni Balalu “li ma hawn bhala fit-tliet ijiem tal-Karnival.”
The story continues. We get to know a lot about the music, the sex, the suffering, the violence, the human experiences, the laws regulating the business, the degradation, the fulfilled ambitions. The book is a tribute to the street “li darba xeghlet il-Belt” but it is not a glorification or justification of what should neither be glorified or justified.
It is a very good read. Well done George.
PS I almost forgot. What about my stint in Strada Stretta? It had nothing to do with playing music or other initiative that street is well known for. I worked there for six months at the offices of Remig Farrugia’s The Malta Economist. It was my first job for which I received six Malta pounds every week. However, if George Cini is playing to write a follow-up I can give him a couple of good stories.
TOMORROW'S CHURCH IN YESTERDAY'S GARB
A friend of mine sent me the following description of mass on New Year’s eve at one of our parishes.
“It was an experience worth remembering. I was prepared for a solemn mass since this is normally the case in most parishes on New Year’s Eve. However, to see priests, I think the whole clerical fraternity of parish, wearing the traditional Berettini was something which I had never witnessed in my 46 years on this planet. I reinforce this by stating that I come from the back of beyond, also known as THE SOUTH OF MALTA. I had, in my childhood been used to seeing the Parish Priest who was a member of SMOM, wearing the full regalia on the Parish Feast Day, but no more. And we used to think that conservative! One lives and learns.
The mass proceeded with due pomp and circumstance. In the homily, the Parish Priest defined the motto for the Parish to follow for the next year.
He proposed 'Evangelizing ourselves'. This motto, he said, encouraged us all not to be backward looking, but to look forward with hope and enthusiasm. I saw no one getting uncomfortable in his Berettin so I assumed that the discourse was only metaphysical. To further elucidate his proposal, the reverend gentleman then added some examples on evangelizing ourselves. I remember two. A woman would panic if she did not light a candle to her statue of the Redeemer and yet had not been to mass for weeks; A lady confessed to not observing the Maundy Thursday vigil (not a sin by the way) but was obdurate in not speaking to her siblings after decades old quarrel regarding inheritance. Good practical examples. It seems that the motto is open exclusively to the female gender. men always get the rum deal.”
Any comments?
PARVIS POLITICS
Last Sunday I criticised the Archpriest of Zebbug for putting up another anti-divorce billboard on the Church’s parvis. I objected both to the dubious good taste of the billboard and also at the idea in itself. I do agree that those who are against the introduction of divorce legislation should mount a full-blown and assertive campaign to put forward their point of view but the Church’s parvis is not the place where such a campaign should be waged.
In was happy to read the comment of Dr Andre Camilleri in an interview with The Sunday Times. Even he was critical of the initiative.
I was then informed that the Archpriest had a notice read during masses celebrated in his parish during the last weekend. He wanted to put everybody’s mind at rest that he would not be intimidated. Bully for him, I say. He should not be intimidated but perhaps he could open himself to the possibility of being persuaded that such antics do his cause no good.