Melissa Portelli is half of the singer/song writing duo from Gozo: Chasing Pandora the other half is Keith Anthony. Their partnership was formed when record producer / manager Steve Brown heard Melissa singing and was so astounded by the originality of her voice and the pure emotion that it conveyed that he put her together with Keith who’s soulful guitar playing he had long admired.

Instantly they both felt that there was a unique creative chemistry between the two of them and found working together an exciting and liberating experience as well as the creative outlet that they had both yearned for. Melissa had written poetry ever since she could put pen to paper but couldn’t have imagined that her words could be turned into such incredibly evocative songs and Keith found a musical partner who could take his beautiful melodies and give them life and meaning.

They perform primarily using just voice and acoustic guitar, which allows them to express the intimacy and spontaneity essential in conveying the emotion and pathos in their compositions. Melissa will be performing two live and acoustic shows at St James Cavalier Music Room on 27 and 28 October.

How old are you? Star sign and date of birth?

I’m 23, a Sagittarian born on 29 November.

What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

Following ten years of touring the world I’d love to be writing my 10th album and recording it in my home studio in Gozo surrounded by lots of my own children and in someway helping somebody develop their musical talents, in the same way that I have been helped.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Writing the perfect song, binge eating on junk food and drinking beer.

What is your favourite occupation?

Well more than anything else in this world, I love writing and although I’ve tried over and over again to write fictional stories, I find that I can express myself better through poetry.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing someone I love – something that has already happened to me. Although people remain in your memories, it is not the same as having them physically present in your life.

What is it that you most value in your friends?

I love friends that are honest and trustworthy, friends that love me unconditionally and accept each and every one of my flaws.

How would you like to die?

I want to die painlessly in my sleep preferably before the people that I care most about.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’m ashamed to say that I don’t have one but I don’t think of that as a virtue. I’ll have to invent one.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t really regret anything – whatever I have done is just done and I have learnt an enormous amount from my mistakes. I can’t change anything and so there is no use dwelling on it.

What is your most treasured possession?

My poetry. I am very touchy about it and I treat my poems as if they were my children. Some of my poetry just stays in my diaries and it’s between the poem and me, I treat them as if it where people with souls.

Which talent would you most like to have apart from the ones you already have?

I’ve always wanted to draw, but I’ve just got to face the facts that I’m not good at it! I’m too clumsy. Maybe one day what I will try doing is something personal, wicked and crazy like the sort of thing Tracey Emin does.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

When I am so miserable that I blame everyone around me when they have nothing to do with my pain and I’m just taking my anger out on them. That’s when I know I am digging my own hole.

Where would you like to live?

If I couldn’t live in Gozo then I guess it would be New York but that might become a bit stressful and so I would like to experience a totally different culture somewhere like Japan.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Some people have told me I’m funny and I do enjoy laughing. Laughing has been scientifically proven to be beneficial for you, the best medicine in the world.

Who are your heroes/heroines in real life?

I would have to say that my manager Steve, who I consider to be one of my greatest friends – he is my hero because he has taught me a lot about living in the moment and treating people with kindness and compassion. I hope that when I grow older I will be as kind and wise as he is. Then there is my late brother because he was somebody I looked up to and still do, he was so enthusiastic about life, very funny and loveable.

What is it that you most dislike?

I hate people that are liars and worse then that, hypocrites. I also don’t like people that make judgements without knowing the person personally. For some unknown reason I also hate bananas, I can’t even stand the smell of them.

What is your motto?

Smile, it’s contagious and dreams can come true.