Music and philanthropy have a long, benevolent relationship with one another. Music charts are filled with charity singles and concert history is filled with benefit shows for every imaginable cause. Globally, musicians like to give back. On a local level, Malta is not exempt from this rule. Peter Paul Galea (also known as Peter Paul ‘’Tribali’’) is one name consistently doing the rounds in giving back to the community both locally and internationally.
Whilst one may think being an integral name in the local music scene and the reckoning force behind the hugely successful Tribali might be enough for anyone, Peter Paul devotes all of his free time to charitable projects. Recently he has been touring local schools as part of a project with Wasteserv to create awareness on recycling and reusing instruments. We caught up with him to find out what makes him tick, and where this sense of benevolence stems from.
“People always ask me what my biggest inspirations are, and I would have to say I was inspired at a young age to travel and explore different cultures. This primarily originates from teachers at my childhood school of St Paul’s Missionary College in Rabat. I recall vividly being captivated by their tales of helping others overseas. Back in those days, we didn’t have the internet, so I would race home and pull out an encyclopaedia to find out where Peru is. Fortunately, my parents were always very supportive of my plans!”
Peter Paul emits a huge sense of calm as he speaks; he is a captivating storyteller. A quick glance around his home and one can see hundreds of paintings, artefacts and trinkets gathered from a life well-travelled. “I like to pick up a piece or two when I am away, to remind me of that journey,” he adds as he catches me eyeing up a huge colourful wall hanging.
I quiz him about his involvement with raising awareness on recycling, and why he feels compelled to do so. “Unfortunately, everywhere you look these days is greed. People have become so obsessed with wanting the latest things. When I was small I didn’t grow up with endless toys. I would find a matchbox, today it would be a car, tomorrow a plane. Nowadays I meet many youths and they all tell me how they want to be millionaires, I am worried we are losing that creativity in today’s children. We need to spend more time making the most of the resources we have around us and that includes reusing things, as well as educating the next generations to do the same. I have found through music we can reconnect and bring everyone to the same level.”
It is not just children Peter Paul has been inspiring. He has worked extensively with the disabled population. “Many of my best friends have disabilities,” he states.
Peter Paul then explains his highly successful recycling workshops. “With a friend from Wasteserv, we throw in some comedy sketches and then divide the students in half. Half make shakers from plastic containers and the other half make drums. We then reunite to form one huge orchestra. The results are phenomenal, the children love it.”
Just last week saw Peter Paul perform this very task with over 1,000 scouts. An impressive video has been circulating social media. “I haven’t even seen that video yet!” he quips.
Internationally Peter Paul has been heavily involved with the work of various missionaries, including the late Dun Gorg Grima. “I was exceptionally privileged to have been invited to Ethiopia with him. It was like a rocket in my soul,” he adds, describing the heart-wrenching experiences he saw during his African travels.
“You think you have seen it all-as bad as humankind and poverty can possibly get, then the next day you see something else - ten times worse.”
His months in Ethiopia form just part of a rich tapestry of global missions. “Absolutely anybody can do something, just something small to make a positive difference to the life of others. I believe this is our duty as mankind, to share this responsibility.”
One such project Peter Paul is heavily involved with at present is based in the Philippines with Fr Joe Cremona MSSP. “In a small rural village, we have successfully built an orchestral musical community with street kids. Two of our students we are sponsoring through university, they will then go back and teach in their village. The dedication many of the students have displayed is incredible, once a week we hook them up on Skype with a member of the Maltese National Orchestra to provide lessons. As you can imagine the connection isn’t the most reliable!”
Peter Paul shows absolutely no intention of slowing his projects down, with further international ventures planned for next year. Locally he encourages everyone to visit The Bubble Festival in Ghajn Tuffieha. “This festival is very dear to me. It is happening in September in a stunning environment. Last year through music and workshops they raised over €28,000 for various NGOs and charity projects. € 4,000 were given to our music project in The Philippines. This year our project is included once again.”
As we go our separate ways, Peter Paul’s message is loud and clear “Life is a journey, you don’t want to look back alone, surrounded by material possessions and think how you wasted it. Every moment matters.”
