As you may already know, former Labour Party Leader Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici passed away last week, on 5th November, at the age of 89, while his funeral took place on Monday. It was held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ħamrun, the town in which he spent most of his adult life.

While many remain conflicted about his time as Prime Minister, there is general consensus that he was a gentle and kind man. One aspect of his character that many do not often bring up is his support towards local talent, particularly when it came to music.

Speaking to WhosWho.mt, Philip Fenech, who worked closely with Dr Mifsud Bonnici on a number of events when he was still Managing Director at Paceville jazz bar and entertainment company BJ’s Ltd, confirmed this.

“During the 1980s, BJ’s was the top promoter in Malta, and at the time, Dr Mifsud Bonnici always backed the cultural aspect of things,” Mr Fenech said.

Sharing an image of himself and Dr Mifsud Bonnici, together with Ray Mercieca and Gino Micallef from an 80s/90s era Maltese band based in London, The Characters, attending a concert in Valletta. Mr Fenech explained that Dr Mifsud Bonnici “would always be present at these types of concerts, both when he was Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition”.

“Beyond the intense politics of the time, he would also come and involve himself in these matters,” he added.

From left: Ray Mercieca, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, Philip Fenech, Gino Micallef

The 1980s proved to be a turbulent time not just for Malta, but for the world, which was in the latter stages of the tense Cold War. Prior to United States President George H. W. Bush and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev meeting in Malta in 1989 for the Malta Summit, Dr Mifsud Bonnici organised a peace concert.

“It was a night of peace messages from various international and local dignitaries with live music after, which was marred by bad weather, leading to the event having to be transferred from Floriana Granaries to Radio City, which now houses the Labour Party Headquarters. The whole hall had to be transformed into a presentable place,” Mr Fenech said.

“The event took place, and speeches were made from both foreign and local delegates. Afterwards, a concert took place involving both local and foreign talent, including the likes of Aswad, Leo Sayer, and Amii Steward, among others. Dr Mifsud Bonnici used to enjoy these events and would always support them,” he continued.

Former BJ's Ltd Managing Director and current Malta Chamber of SMEs Deputy President Philip Fenech

Mr Fenech explained that the event was the first time he had met Dr Mifsud Bonnici, having only known him publicly as a politician beforehand. “I was very impressed by his calmness, sharp mind, and his dedication towards culture, as he had talked to me with encouragement about BJ’s promoting local talent. I hadn’t expected this sense of sensitivity towards culture from him as a politician, and then I saw him as a completely different character,” he added.

“I remember that when I first met him, the first thing he said was ‘What nice curly hair you have’ (had), and he told me about how his hair didn’t grow normally but grew upwards instead, and we laughed it off. That broke the ice and I saw him as a totally different person than the politician I knew in the media, as I noticed his sense of humour and patience to listen to opinions,” Mr Fenech said.

From that point onwards, Mr Fenech and Dr Mifsud Bonnici got to know each other more, and he would speak to him about issues of negotiations, especially through Mr Fenech’s involvement at the Malta Chamber of SMEs, which he is now Deputy President of. “He continued to remember me from that day on,” he added.

“I will remember him as a meticulous character that was always ready to listen and help others out,” Mr Fenech concluded.