The great folk singer Frans Baldacchino, better known as Il-Budaj, passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning at the early age of 63.
Probably the final link with the great quartet of folk singers, Fredu Abela, Il Bamboccu, Leli Azzopardi, Il-Bugazz and Zaru Mifsud L-Ghawdxi, Baldacchino was famous for his inimitable style and greatly diverse repertoire, being a particular notable exponent of the spirtu pront style.
He was born in Zejtun on 16 May, 1943 and left school at 14. As he used to recall, it was at school that he discovered a deep-set love of poetry. In 1995, he also published a book, L-Imriezaq ta’ Mohhi’, full of poems and permeated with his fine writing flair – an amazing feature considering that he was self-taught.
The nickname Budaj came from the great Hungarian national football team of the 1950’s after the army team Honved paid a visit to Malta. Frans’ brother who used to play football was nicknamed Budaj after the Hungarian centre half and the name was eventually adopted by the singer himself.
Poet, writer and broadcaster George Peresso said that Baldacchino was an important fixture in the folk singing field and had revolutionised the genre.
“He was widely literate and read voraciously, inserting several concepts into his poetry and singing. Coming from Zejtun, he was deeply schooled in the traditions of the fields and picked up his love of nature, transporting ghana to a new level with his voice also imbuing it with a certain dignity,” said Mr Peresso.
Baldacchino enthusiastically embraced new concepts in folk singing and regularly teamed up with the popular folk band Etnika in a number of collaborations, including Boom Boom and Zazu Club.
Contacted yesterday, Etnika researcher Steve Borg said that the demise of Il-Budaj was a sad loss for local culture and Etnika in particular.
“He brought the beauty of ghana to the general public and at the moment was also training his protégé, Anthony Spiteri, better known as Toni tal-Gebel. He was greatly loved and a very humble person, blending very well with Etnika’s professional musicians”.
Mr Borg explained that Baldacchino was best known as an exponent of ghana spirtu pront but also sang some tal-fatt songs, especially a famous one depicting the crash of the Vulcan aircraft at Zabbar in 1976.
A particularly notable fan of Il-Budaj is President Emeritus Guido De Marco who was extremely distraught at the passing away of the singer whom he greatly admired.
“He was an excellent folk singer who brought ghana out of relative obscurity to the highest levels of Maltese culture. I invited him several times to the Presidential Palace to perform as I sincerely believed that he was the person who changed the face of folk singing and I am very sad and distraught at the news of his passing”, Prof De Marco told The Malta Independent.
Labour Party spokespersons Carmelo Abela and Justyne Caruana also issued a statement expressing their sorrow at the passing away of Il-Budaj.
Baldacchino issued various CDs including Tizwiqa mill-Budaj (2002), Inhobbok ja Hanina (2001), Il-Gmiel tan-Natura and also collaborated with Michael Fenech, Ir-Ringu from Zurrieq and Fredu Abela, Il-Bamboccu.
He was also active abroad but in the past years had stopped travelling due to health problems. In 1992, he issued a CD in France called Ballades Malte et Joutes Chantees produced by Francoise Grunad.
Baldacchino was also a painter and a sculptor apart from being a poet and singer. He will be sorely missed by all lovers of local tradition and culture. The funeral will take place at Zejtun Parish Church at 830am tomorrow.