VIDA by Union Print

VIDA

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GOOD TO BE NEW!

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Welcome to the new VIDA, a new quarterly concept we have been working on for the past months and are finally proud to launch. The new VIDA Winter issue is fresh, interesting, colourful and certainly worth a read. VIDA brings together stories of local and international night life, music and extreme sports personalities

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such as Hardwell, Ira Losco, Red Electrick, Dean Demanuele, Terry Alan Bonello and Aaron Fotheringham. We wish you all a pleasant read and a Happy Festive Season!

VIDA No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form without the prior consent of Union Print Co. Ltd. While we make every effort to make sure that the content of VIDA is correct, we cannot take any responsibility nor be held accountable for any factual errors printed.

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Editor: Omar Vella

editor@vida.mt Design:

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Ryan Bezzina

design@unionprint.com.mt Proof Reading: Ramona Marie Vella Cini Marthese Cauchi

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ARTIST NAME: Hardwell REAL NAME: Robbert van de Corput LOCATION: Breda, Netherlands STYLE: Big room, energetic, progressive. ASSOCIATED LABEL: Revealed Recordings (founder and owner) ARTIST ALBUMS: United We Are

“

Hardwell is not only a great Producer & DJ but, more importantly, stands out as a great personality which is what you really need to be in order to survive beyond the “one hit wonders. It’s hard to describe other than you can clearly hear his signature in each of his own productions and/ or remixes. That’s class!” Armin van Buuren

ince announcing a sabbatical back in October 2018, Hardwell is still a name synonymous in the dance music world. Twice voted the World’s Number 1 DJ back in 2013 and 2014 and the head honcho at iconic label Revealed Records, it goes without saying he’s perhaps one of dance music’s most known figures.

Although he’s no longer on tour firing out bangers or playing festivals and clubs worldwide there’s no shortage of his tracks being played over the airways. Over the years he has performed at many shows and festivals all over the world. So, in celebration of his career and the current #StoryOfHardwell on his socials right now, we decided to take a look arguably at his most memorable festival performances. SUNSET PERFORMANCE AT ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013 Hardwell’s performance at Ultra Music Festival in 2013, is widely regarded as the starting point in the mainstream bigroom house movement. The nearly one-hour set held in downtown Miami was only the DJ’s second appearance at the iconic dance music festival. Hardwell experimented with a 20-song track list that contained productions that would soon convert into dance music’s most well-known anthems, including introducing the Miami audience to an orchestral rendition of his single “Spaceman”. RETURN TO TOMORROWLAND IN 2018 After a two-year break from the renowned international festival, Hardwell officially resurfaced on the event’s headliner billing to close Tomorrowland’s leading structure during the first evening of weekend one. Commencing with an introductory edit and bootleg of Eminem’s “Without Me”, Hardwell delivered track after track of fan favourite material. The highlight of the performance was when Hardwell reached for the mic to unveil the official follow up to his 2012 smash hit “Apollo” with “Being Alive”. HARDWELL’S BIGGEST GUESTLIST FESTIVAL In December of 2015, Hardwell brought a massive amount fans together, 75,000 in total. It was for one special event held in Mumbai, India for his inaugural ‘World’s Biggest Guestlist Festival’ in partnership with his United We Are Foundation. Two years on from the previous event in India, where Hardwell and partners succeeded in providing education to 18,000 underprivileged youngsters. The 2017 event succeeded the previous, securing enough donations for more than 100,000 Indian children, who were at the receiving end of the charity’s education initiatives. FIRST MAJOR FESTIVAL APPEARANCE AS DJ MAG TOP 100’S #1 DJ Ultra Music Festival in 2014 marked the Dutchman’s first major festival performance as DJ Mag’s top 100 DJ number one. The hour long set performed in downtown Miami has been widely lauded as one of, if not, the greatest performance of Hardwell’s extensive career. Opening with an unreleased cinematic introduction, which would later be known as “Eclipse”, Hardwell unleashed hit after hit to make a memorable performance. His contained the remix for Armin van Burren’s “Ping Pong”, along with a closing hardstyle edit of “Spaceman”. FINAL PERFORMANCE WITH METROPOLE ORKEST BEFORE SABBATICAL Hardwell’s official concluding performance was marked with an all -ages event during the Amsterdam Dance Event. With help of the 52-person orchestra, Hardwell took clubbers through 30 years of dance music, dropping some of the most recognizable productions in mankind. Beginning with early 1980s classics such as Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, Hardwell led the journey towards modern hits such as “Levels” and his collaboration with the Metropole Orkest known as “Conqueres”. The celebration of music finished with a speech from the Revealed Recordings boss where he stood in front of a crowd chanting his name.

eSkills

eSkills Malta Foundation

Digital Skills and Young People 8

e up to gital skills ar e that your di te tive an ar ac tr gu at Gen Z is no , the more t technology ember of the ou m a of ab y s or et ow al ri ni with a va a Millen a person kn imply being ering people l. The more ter eans empow full potentia m y ur y new compu ac yo an d er lit le an l h nd scratc learn to ha ey iewer. Digita ly th rv , si te ce ea in or d an kf an r or y e fo eativel are for the w they becom oyers think more cr people prep future empl so they can r. As young te un this will help co en technologies as , d and ay es in m gi m lo ey in th no is ch week has th ram or device emerging te ce og of en e pr , ri dg ge pe le ua Ex lang posure nd their know ICT Career Ex inually expa stry of today. to train. The should cont er si and the indu ea ts g en in ud be st as ol em ho th sc y er ar to consid tween second ge the gap be tries to brid

The eSkills Malta Foundation has a key determination of bringing more young people up to speed on coding and other digital skills. Initiatives such as the “EU Code Week”, “Digigirlz” and “Code like a Girl” aim to connect digitally educated young people with jobs.

development, including coding, software and application development, network management, machine learning, Big Data analysis, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and blockchain technology.

The “Malta ICT Skills Audit” is another initiative by the Foundation that gives a snapshot of the digital and ICT skills and competences as required by the industry. This should help youth who are considering an ICT career, or perhaps already employed, in confirming whether his current skills need updating. The Audit promotes the use of ICT tools at all levels of education and ensures, among other things, access to education and research for people with special needs. The goal is to finally create a large cohort of ICT professionals who will meet global competitive demands.

Soft skills are skills necessary for effective collaboration in the digital economy. They include teamwork, leadership, communication and client focus, among others. These skills have become crucial in the digital industry and unfortunately not as easy to find as one may think. Many times soft skills differnentiate between one prospective employee and another to the extent of tipping the choice towards employing one rather than the other.

Over the past decade, cross-industry companies have digitised their processes. Already, companies are using artificial intelligence to streamline workflows and supply chains. In this article, we discuss the top digital skills that young people should have in their portfolio to meet the needs of the industry. Basic digital skills are generic ICT skills required for nearly all jobs. They include digital literacy, curiosity and love of learning, web research, online communication, adaptability and cognitive flexibility, use of professional online platforms and digital financial services. Mid-level digital skills are skills that include digital graphic design and marketing, desktop publishing and social media management, both for job and entrepreneurship opportunities. Advanced digital skills are necessary to create, manage, test and analyse information and communications technology and the big data generated by it. They also relate to technology

For the interested student, training for further advancement exists in Social media marketing, Youtube marketing, Search engine Optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), e-mail marketing, cyber security and social media policy. At the end of the lessons, a learner is given an internationally recognised certificate confirming the successful completion of their training. Some of these courses are tailored to make the young people fit in the fast-changing work environment, and moreover can be taken online through the comfort of their home. The youths that are fluent in these digital skills and are also looking for roles in the new work environment will have a clear advantage over their peers with little or no knowledge in such skills. Businesses around the country are crying out for people with the right digital talent. This talent sits squarely within the young generation. It is therefore critical that young people do all they can to make the most of these skills and use this to show employers the value they can bring – not just to their businesses but to the future of the Maltese economy.

VIDA

HAD A WORD WITH DEAN DEMANUELE, THE MIND BEHIND DAZED AND CONFUSED RECORDS AND RAVEN MUSIC AGENCY. HE SHARES WITH US HIS JOURNEY IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC, HIS VIEWS ON LOCAL MUSIC SCENE AND HIS RECENT ACHIEVEMENT OF HAVING HIS ORIGINAL TRACK ‘MOVING LANES” PLAYED BY NONE OTHER THAN CARL COX AND JOSEPH CAPRIATI IN A CLUB IN IBIZA.

Could you give us a brief run-down of how you got into music, and how you arrived at the point you are now, in terms of your musical career? It all started way back at secondary school, my friends and I were really passionate about this new wave of electronic music that was coming out, I remember getting the internet and a new pc at home and I would research for days, for new tracks and underground artists on youtube and blogs. It was a thrill to find a special artist that was unknown and would explode internationally later on. Music was always something that touched me deeper than any other thing and it was an intuitive thing that led me to pursue it. I also like challenges, so music was the ultimate one as I had no clue on how to produce it, record it, release it and market it. It took a while since I managed to get an idea of how things worked but of course I had to leave Malta to study music on a deeper level. I first went to the UK for a year, to work alongside some major producers and get into the British clubbing scene, but that was a short one as it was too expensive to live off just music. I came back to Malta and then found out that Berlin was a more affordable major hub where I could learn more and get involved, so I left and spent around 3 years curating my craft in all aspects. You can say Dean Demanuele and Dazed & Confused Records where conceived in Berlin. What does it entail to be a sound producer? To be honest you only need a laptop and software but its all about what you want to express from within. There’s a lot of new ways to create music and tutorials make it super easy, so it’s all about the love and the perseverance. What made you go for the particular genre you are now practicing? I was always in love with electronic music, I listen to other genres too but it never intrigues me as much as club music. How would you describe the clubbing scene in Malta? Let’s say it could be much better.

What is your all-time favourite club track? I’m the type of person that is always on the lookout for what’s new out there, so I don’t really know as I’m constantly searching for the perfect sounding track. What was your breakthrough on the international scene? My breakthrough was my track with Pig&Dan and Mark Reeve on Bedrock records. That track gave me a push for the international audience to start noticing my name was out there. I remember some friends were in Miami and our track was being played all over, the hype the track created generated a lot of interest. What really makes you stand out of the crowd? The ability to give people emotions on the dancefloor, of course, if they are willing to mentally accept the music I offer. Tell us about Dazed & Confused? Dazed & Confused Records is a platform for myself and like-minded artists to release new music and express their music during our events. We hosted and partied in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Ibiza, Szczecin, Hamburg, Zurich, Prague, Lucerne, Malta and Gozo. What advice would you give to aspiring Maltese musicians who want to break into the international scene? Look what’s happening out there and travel, if you don’t know what’s happening around you, you won’t know what to look for. What’s next? I’m looking forward to my next shows in Gozo, London and Ghent. I’ll be playing alongside some amazing names from Jamie xx and Undercatt. I’m also currently working on my next single, my tour and residencies between Gozo and Ibiza. A lot of my touring wouldn’t be possible without the help of AirMalta, they have been supporting me and my music for a while now and I wish to show my gratitude.

INKOMPLU NEMMNU FIŸ-ŸGŒAŸAGŒ

ara lit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ bħala l-protagonisti tallum u ferm iktar t’għada.

Huma intom li tistgħu tkomplu tagħtu dimensjoni pożittiva lil dan il-pajjiż. Bħala Gvern, nemmnu bissħiħ fil-potenzjal tagħkom u dan ngħixuh fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum. Għamilna investiment bla preċedent fil-qasam edukattiv, flimkien ma’ inizzjativi li neħħew aktar piż bħall-eżamijiet bla ħlas, transport pubbliku b’xejn u opportunitajiet ta’ xogħol aħjar fost l-oħrajn. Illum qed nibnu l-bażi, għada se nkomplu naqtgħu aktar frott li se jkompli jagħmel lil Malta mudell soċjali għal pajjiżi oħra ferm ikbar minna. Ministru Michael Falzon

WHEN /

JANUARY 10 -25, 2020 31 CONCERTS IN 17 DIFFERENT VENUES

WHERE /

Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

vallettabaroquefestival.mt MORE INFO & TICKETS /

tickets for all your favorite cultural events

Mvintage celebrates the launch of its new Concept Store & Cafe in L-Iklin

clectic, Iconic and Home-Grown Fashion Brand, Mvintage, Launches First Concept Store. Fast growing, local jewellery brand Mvintage launched their new Concept Store in L-Iklin on the 4th September. This marks the second shop opening for this successful retail and online brand in less than a month.

The minimalistic but luxurious design of the new Mvintage Concept Store sets a fresh tone for Malta’s jewellery scene. On entry, customers are guided through the gorgeous selection of jewellery on display. Each piece created with the concept of meaning, flexibility and personalisation in mind, allowing the customer to curate their own jewellery combinations based on their style and personality. All the artistically designed, locally inspired pendants are fully interchangeable and can be worn on necklaces, earrings or charm bracelets. Within the store is the Mvintage Cafe, where customers can sit back and unwind with a coffee and a bite to eat, allowing patrons to embrace the full Mvintage experience. Attended by Malta’s local fashion influencers as well as personal friends and family of the Mvintage team, the evening event was a huge success. Following a heartfelt speech by Mvintage Founder and Jewellery Designer Krystle Penza, guests enjoyed drinks and finger food with live entertainment and Krystle’s insightful speech provided a glimpse of the Mvintage story and the brand’s ethos. Krystle has always been a firm believer in jewellery being an opportunity for a woman to express her individuality. Whether you’re a fan of silver, rose-gold or gold, Krystle devotes her time to creating jewellery that helps people tell their own stories. She explains, ‘When I started this journey back in 2012, I was greatly influenced by the strong and interesting women in my own life. I wanted to design jewellery that could help them express their unique personalities. Using the concept of family, women and the world of fashion - we built Mvintage on those same values. With each new collection I draw on Malta’s rich history. Old lace, floor tiles, luzzus and the sea. There’s so much beauty in our culture and heritage to capture.’ The new concept store opening coincides with the launch of the brand’s fall collection aptly entitled ‘Munita’. When asked where the inspiration for this stunning new collection was derived from, Krystle recalls a special time in her childhood. Whenever she visited her grandmother, who lived in Valletta, she would always sneak a coin into her grand-daughter’s hand telling her to ‘buy something nice’ with a sweet wink and smile. Krystle took this memory and began designing what some would call the brand’s most striking collection to date.

Krystle explains: ‘I wanted to capture the charm of a simpler time in Malta’s history. I began by sketching the shapes and motifs of old Maltese coins which were stored in my childhood home. My ideas for this collection materialised from the jewellery which was very much part of my past and that of my predecessors. The results is a collection infused with romantic memories of times gone by.’ The Munita Fall Collection features jewellery designed with delicate etching, detailed floral designs, geometric shapes and serrated edges. The pendants and chains are rich with meaning, but versatile so people can create combinations that help them tell their own stories. There’s also an engravable range for that extra touch of personalisation. The new all gold Munita Collection was well received by guests on the night, with many referring to the jewellery as an exquisite reflection of Malta’s rich history and vibrant culture. Of particular interest were the pendants based on the old 2 mils, 25 cents and 6 pence coins. A series of monetary mementos that can easily be worn with a sense of nostalgic pride. To mark the momentous milestone for the company, a new meaningful limited-edition pendant was also launched. Aptly named the ‘Celebration Pendant’, this semi-precious snakeskin jasper stone represents growth whilst its colour signifies festivity. This stone is only available for a limited time from the Mvintage Concept Store in l-Iklin. Between the new concept store and the unveiling of the Munita collection, Mvintage once again confirms its position as a breath-taking and contemporary jewellery house. Gordon Penza, Krystle’s partner in the Mvintage concept and husband explains: ‘My wife has had a clear vision from the start and nothing has come in the way of her making this happen. She’s the embodiment of the Mvintage concept a strong, independent woman who is truly unique.’ Autumn is not usually considered a time for new beginnings, but for Mvintage it certainly marks an interesting turning point in the brand’s story. You can’t help but ask, what will Krystle Penza and her dedicated Mvintage team dream up next? Whatever it is, we’re all excited to keep following this home-grown brand in its adventures - offering gorgeous, meaningful and versatile fashion to the nation and perhaps… beyond?

I R A

One Hell of a Year

IRA LOSCO

This was indeed one intense year for Malta’s pop queen, IRA LOSCO with her role as an X factor judge and with her double album NO SINNER NO SAINT among others. Ira found some time in her jam packed agenda to share with us her thoughts on the year that has come to an end and her projects for the one to come.

How would you assess the year which is about to come to an end? Last year was quite a busy one. As well as still releasing singles and videos from my double album NO SINNER NO SAINT, I also took on a new role as an X factor judge and mentored the BOYS category, I performed on the final night with my song “Hey Now” which was released four months prior as a single. This time I invited my finalist Owen Leuellen as my guest, the track kept on growing in popularity making it last summer’s hit. I released my latest single, collaborating with X factor’s winner Michela Pace and I starred with them both in the Sterling’s Jewellery campaign. You could say it was jam packed and eventful.

Any particular achievements worth a mention? I am extremely proud to have performed with super star Andrea Boccelli singing his smash hit “Vivo Con Lei” and also some semi classical numbers with Maltese tenor and good friend Joseph Calleja, which was well overdue. I couldn’t believe we had never actually performed together. That was one performance which seemed to have been really loved, as the audience also saw me in a different light. I guess many weren’t aware that I could sing that style. I also headlined other various festivals and shows, travelled as well as performed at an awards show which was held in October, which saw “Hey Now’ take home Best Collaboration. I also won “Best Solo Artist” as well as “Best Pop Artist.” I absolutely love my job but the the cherry on the cake is always the appreciation and love shown back from my audience.

The X Factor Malta is back. What are your expectations for this year’s edition? I think all judges are expecting the bar to be raised even higher this year. On my end I’m eager to mentor my category in a way that will leave a mark. Last year one of my contestants was runner up and went from being completely unknown to being sought after overnight. His talent was undoubted and exceptional but we made sure he was guided and mentored in the right way. X Factor Malta catapulted him into success. Of course a lot of it depends on how much the contestants are ready to listen to our advice. We can’t force anyone but we can surely try and open their eyes. This year we have seen incredible talent and I can’t wait to get my GIRLS on stage and see them perform. I am continuously communicating with them and meeting them for rehearsals. They mean business. It’s all very exciting and I see that fire in their eyes which I know very well. That drive never dies. Once you get the music/stage/performance bug it never goes away.

Why is the X Factor so popular? Like I said before last year’s runner up and winner both came from being unknown to becoming everyone’s favourite upcoming artists overnight. They really shone on stage and went on to doing great things. They both drop their new releases very soon and they have garnered attention everywhere. Michela’s “Chameleon” surpassed 13 million views on youtube and she’s now writing with some of the biggest names in the industry. Her single will probably clock a total of 50 million streams by end of this year including all digital portals I’ve been told. Having contestants getting picked by Global X Factor further elevates the brand as it instantly exposes the act to a wider international audience. I have lost count how many times it happened last year and we should never take it for granted. Owen and Michela are both very young and have a bright future ahead of them. X factor is a great platform for talent but it also involves the audience where they constantly feel engaged. It really reflects the journey of a music artist and the relation with the audience perfectly. It’s all done in an extremely fast pace of course for TV purposes but it’s as real as it gets and that’s why people love it.

What does it offer to a potential talent? It definitely offers the chance for new talent to be exposed to large audiences, for upcoming artists to develop their performances and eventually their song writing skills. It gives some contestants the chance to shed their fears and take on new challenges. It gives them all of that without charging them a cent for it. Which can’t be said for some other people taking advantage of upcoming talent, who might not even necessarily be promising, yet they bleed them dry for their personal gain, which is totally unfair on these individuals who end up deluded and consequently can’t understand why they aren’t “making it.” The X Factor also gives the upcoming talent a real snap shot of how the industry works as well as valuable mentorship and experience they will carry till the rest of their lives.

What’s next for Ira Losco? I’m working on some exciting new projects which I can’t disclose as yet. As long as I’ve got strength I’ll keep creating. Alongside my sidekick Howard Keith Debono of course. He’s not complaining and neither am I ;-) I Still have a couple of releases to go from my double album together with music videos, performances and all that makes my music journey unpredictable and exciting.

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Irridu aktar żgħażagħ Maltin fl-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej u aħna qegħdin hawn biex ngħinukom taslu.

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Suċċess għalikom, suċċess għal pajjiżna.

Pushing the Limits Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham is a pioneer of WCMX, aka freestyle wheelchair. A fan and fellow-athlete favorite, Wheelz exploded onto the scene in 2010 after landing the firstever backflip on a wheelchair, and he hasn’t looked back, breaking records and inspiring millions, all while fearlessly having the time of his life on mega ramps and in skateparks around the world.

WHO IS

Aaron

FotheringhaM Aaron Fotheringham is a 28 year old WCMX rider from Las Vegas. WCMX stands for Wheelchair Motocross -tricks and stunts performed on a wheelchair in a skatepark.

Your parents refused to let your condition set you apart from your siblings. In what way has such an approach help you develop a strong character? The way I was raised instilled a strong urge to be independent. Because my parents never babied me I had to adapt and find ways to get things done myself. I read you were bullied at school. How did it effect you and how did you react to it? Yeah I experienced bullying quite a bit in middle school and high school. I always felt grateful because for every kid that bullied me I had 10 that were on my side. When I was bullied I wouldn’t get sad because while they may be saying mean things about my legs, I didn’t believe they were correct and I still believe that being on a wheelchair is more fun than they can comprehend. You and your parents refused the idea of adaptive PE. Why? I was never a fan of adaptive PE because I didn’t want to be separated from all of my other friends and kids and to be treated differently. I did everything in normal PE just with wheels instead of legs. My coaches loved me because I would roll the mile run with the rest of class through a grass field just to show that I could do it. You recently noted; “that’s why I like the skatepark, because it’s not like I was being treated differently.” What does the skatepark mean to you? The skatepark has meant pure freedom to me. The skatepark has always been a type of sanctuary to me. Whenever anything was wrong in life I could go blow off steam at the local skatepark and when I am riding there is not much on my mind besides what I am doing at that moment. You constantly insist to show the world that this condition is an ability and not a disability. How? I just want to show everyone that a wheelchair is much more than just a miserable medical device - and that it can be fun. If I can show just one kid with a disability, through one of my tricks or stunts that a wheelchair can actually be fun - then mission accomplished.

You looked up at people like Tony Hawk and Travis Pastrana. What did they mean to you? Watching guys like Tony and Travis showed me that with a ton of hard work you can accomplish almost everything. I would often think back to tricks I saw them do, when I was working on something new to keep me motivated. You also often insist that you are on a wheelchair and not in a wheelchair. Can you elaborate? Saying that you are “in a wheelchair” sounds like you are confined to it, that it controls your life. But by changing it to “On a wheelchair” it then becomes the same as someone riding a bike or skateboard! How did YouTube and social media help deliver your message? Social media and YouTube have given me the platform to reach more people with my tricks. They let me reach more people in more countries and have helped me inspire way more people than I ever thought. What role does adrenaline play when you are performing? Adrenaline plays a huge role in what I do, especially while riding the Mega Ramp. Sometimes the biggest trick is trying to calm myself down before the actual trick haha! Your goal is to push forwards, be creative and break new ground. So what’s next for you? I would like to help progress WCMX to new levels and I do have my eyes set on a double - front flip!!

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

ELEC TRIF YING! hat Malta lacks in size, it surely makes up in talent and Red Electrick are certainly one of the best exponents of what the island can offer. The band recently shared with VIDA what brought them together, what lies behind their choice of name and their projects for 2020.

What lies behind the choice of name? Red Electrick - Electrick came from the fact that the band was very electric guitar driven when we started out. We were more of an indie rock band with guitar riffs all over our first album “Vine Lady”. The new album though is full of electric guitars again, so I guess the Electrick became relevant again. Red is from the main colour of our Maltese flag. We are a MALTESE ELECTRICK BAND - or something like that. ;)

How would you describe your style? Red Electrick’s new album Tragic Optimistic would be classified as Pop/Electro/Rock. Pop was always our main genre but pop can be dressed in different ways, sometimes a bit rocker, sometimes a bit mellower, and in the case of the latest release, a bit more electronic. Our style was always focused around writing catchy songs with memorable hooks which is what pop is all about I guess.

In what way do you feel each band member is complimentary to one another? On a musical front - our guitars and drums have always been very much in sync, along with the bass of course, but normally in styles like ours, its the bass and drums which are mainly in sync with the guitar roaming around in its own world. In our case, the guitar was always a big part of the rhythm section, which is why we always opt to have 2 guitarists on stage - a rhythm and lead guitar. Another thing we always do is marry the bass-lines with the vocal lines, something Ivan our bassist always does so well in the studio with Joe’s hooks.

How do your rehearsals generally look like? We are quite hard on ourselves musically and we always push our own limits, so during rehearsal we go into a lot of detail which is not always fun. Rehearsals for us aren’t about hanging out, that is done then in more social situations so they might get slightly stressful at times. Having said that, it always results in the best possible live performance we can give the audience, which is our main priority. We always try to compete with the big names abroad, and to do so, you need to challenge yourself and forget the fun for a few minutes!

Tell us about the process that goes behind writing a new song. There is no specific process, however the new album was an amazing team effort. We always compare it to REK’s first album in the sense that it sounds like a band worked on it together. This time it was mainly Pete and Aleandro writing musical bits in the studio, sending them off to Joe for him to work on the lyrics and top liners. Joe is a top lining machine and he always comes back with interesting work so it just made the process very fun. Pete, who is also producer of the band, added some vocal melody lines as a producer does and Ivan and Aleandro challenge the music and put their playing and touch to the songs. Rob comes in at a later stage to craft the beats with the rest of the guys. The songwriting process truly is the most fun part of being in this band.

How does a band remain active, busy and relevant for more than a decade? It’s basically a mixture of motivation, drive, obsession, love for music, love for writing songs and performing which translated into constant re-inventing ourselves and our music and creating projects which left a mark on the local music scene. We’ve done that from day 1. We never stuck to the same type of sound, way of doing things, live performance. Our latest project was a first for Malta, the 360 revolving stage. Projects like this are what kept us relevant.

What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Rehearsing with Ivan for 12 years. The guy cannot sit still for more than 15 minutes, so a rehearsal of 3 hours is usually quite painful. He has calmed down a lot recently thanks to the introduction of our latest Red Electrick family member, his gorgeous daughter Charlotte.

Which is your favourite song on the new album? The 13 songs on the new album were selected from a total of 38 songs written. So in reality each and every song is a favourite. Having said that, we all agree that one of our favourites is a track called “I will be fine”. One of the most honest tracks lyrically we have ever worked on.

What’s next for Red Electrick? How we announce things is part of the fun, so we can’t really say much. However, 2020 and 2021 are going to be packed with songs, videos, concerts and more innovative projects we are working on.

Animal instinct

After finding their way into our homes through the radio airwaves the Vibe Fm team has now found another way in, through a calendar! A competition that ran during the daily drivetime show of Nate Frank & Rossi and that saw twelve different pets being crowned as “Pets of The Week” developed into a full blown calendar that is being published by the station and the competition sponsors in order to raise funds for local animal shelters. Only last year the Traffic Threesome and Borg Cardona Pet Supplies celebrated by giving away 400kg of pet food to local animal shelters so another collaboration was always bound to happen! Nate, Frank & Rossi received thousands of submissions from their listeners with photos of their pets throughout Summer, and for twelve consecutive weeks they needed to choose one winner, which would get free pet food and the coveted title of “Pet of The Week”. Needless to say that was no easy task, especially since all pets

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nominated came in all sorts of shapes, breeds, sizes and with different background stories, but they somehow managed to bring it down to twelve winners! Once all twelve pets were chosen the next step was to figure out which pet complimented which DJ! The Vibe social media team and the team at Borg Cardona Pet Supplies had the arduous task of doing the matching! Some of them were more straight forward than others. It looks like the team always wanted JD Patrick to be coupled up with a rabbit and to see Valentina Rossi riding a horse. Shooting the actual photos was also not as straight forward either. Beppe Vella (aka Jadedcoffee) was on hand to take the photos. Spread over two days the schedule of the shoot ensured that each setup had enough time to make sure that the different pets were on set at different times and not overlapping. It was already a big task expecting the pets to get comfortable around complete strangers so the team needed to make sure there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t other distractions such as other pets running around. By the end of it the team had exactly what they set out to achieve, twelve memorable photos featuring the Vibe team and twelve different pets! The calendar is now all laid out, published and ready to be distributed, meaning the ball is now in the listenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s court to contribute by getting their hands on a calendar and helping Vibe Fm and Borg Cardona Pet Supplies continue to help local animal shelters!

TESS L

oud, crazy, bubbly, colourful, talkative, outspoken and a real troublemaker. That is a fair way how to describe Tess. But beneath those wigs and corsets, lies Terry Alan Bonello who in a way resembles Tess, yet more prudent, compassionate, analytical and with some ideas which at times may blow your mind. Terry is a true talent as a drag queen who has earned a reputation for his skill to turn any ordinary show or event into something extraordinary. Terry shared with VIDA what encouraged him to become a drag queen, the misconceptions society has on the profession and his plans for the future.

TES A true Gemini with two different personalities in one and you will never be sure which one you will face. Sociable, communicative and ready for fun, with a tendency to suddenly get serious, thoughtful and restless. Fascinated with the world itself, Terry is extremely curious, with a constant feeling that there is not enough time to experience everything he wants to see. Terry is the rational and analytical side which tends to observe and address a vast range of social issues which stretch from gender and political issues up to HIV. On the other hand Tess is blunt. Very blunt. At times too much! She will often speak her mind and even more.

characteristic of drag — it’s a performance, a parody of social ideals of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’.

Terry is well known in a number of circles all along the social ladder. His personality captures you instantly. His outgoing personality makes it pretty easy to sit down over a coffee and have a chat, so make sure to dedicate some good time since he tends to talk a lot.

I ask Terry how did his family react to Tess. He notes; “It’s taken a few years. You know, I sort of hid from them for a very long time. I think that the dialogue that’s happening in society right now—the exposure of LGBT people and drag queens— really helped bring my parents to understand. It sort of just helped us have more honest dialogue about it. My family loves it. It’s just part of our life. It’s who I am and they love me. It’s been great. My family has been very, very supportive of me. It really has nothing to do with this. We love each other and this is how it works”

His first show was when he was 18 yet it was something very basic. That occasion kept murmuring in his mind and at the age of 23, he dressed up again as a drag queen in carnival. Something he kept on doing for the following carnivals and on some birthday occasions. That is when Tess was born. Being a drag queen is not an easy task and often misunderstood by society. He points out that a confusion between drag performers and trans people is a major issue: “The most common misconception of drag is that the performer wants to be the gender they’re performing, which is wholly not the case,” explains Terry. “Drag is a performance of gender that can be used socially, politically, comedically, and provocatively to talk about the boundaries of social gender acceptance.” His concise explanation reinforces one key

He does not attribute such lack of knowledge on drag queens to society. He feels the drag community should do more to make sure society is more knowledgeable on the subject. This challenge is more daunting in the local context. Terry notes that we live in a mixed society where some understood whilst others failed to or refused to understand. “I believe in a gradual dose. It’s a Christian country and thus certain subjects need to be addressed in a certain way.”

It’s been a long chat and it is time to conclude yet before further ado, I ask Terry what projects he has in store. He has quite a few! New York in January and Mykonos in August just to mention a few. I also ask him what he expects from local society.To my surprise, he does not expect a lot. Terry stresses though on the need for more financial investment from the local industry in drag queens. “There are a few good talents around and it would be a sheer pity to let them go. The industry must believe in them and provide the necessary support they require. It is only by adopting such an approach that Malta can develop true drag queens.”

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