Valletta Cultural Agency does not disclose budget for Mary Spiteri do

The Valletta Cultural Agency is not providing details on how much it plans to spend on a tribute to veteran singer and Labour stalwart Mary Spiteri. Nor is it explaining the concert’s association with the capital city.

Questions sent by The Shift to the VCA’s chairman, former Labour Party general secretary Jason Micallef, and the agency’s CEO, Catherine Tabone, remained unanswered this week despite various reminders.

Neither Micallef nor Tabone replied to questions on how Mary Spiteri had been selected as the theme of one of the Agency’s cultural calendar highlights for the coming year, on whose initiative the 75-year-old controversial singer had been selected and whether a call for proposals had been made before the final selection was made.

Nor did they explain the amount of public funds being dedicated to the event scheduled to be held later this year at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Spiteri – considered one of the most popular but controversial singers among the older generations – has no connection to Valletta.

Born and bred in Naxxar, Spiteri is known for her unconditional support of the Labour Party, and her songs have often accompanied Labour leaders since the Mintoff years at mass events.

Spiteri is often invited by the Labour Party and its candidates to perform at events, and she has even lent her voice to the official Labour Party anthem.

Spiteri has on many occasions been harshly criticised for her partisan comments at her Labour shows and for mocking PN supporters and their leaders.

She has also had a distinguished career as a singer, including representing Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Announcing this year’s cultural programme a few weeks ago, Micallef, a friend of Spiteri who had even used her services for coffee mornings while unsuccessfully campaigning for a parliamentary seat, described ‘Mary Spiteri: My Life’ as the first ever musical biography of a Maltese singer.

This will not be the first time public funds have been used to boost artists close to the ruling Labour Party.

Last year, the VCA – established to enhance the capital’s cultural value – spent some €50,000 to organise a month-long solo exhibition of works by Patrick Dalli, husband of former Labour minister and current European Commissioner Helena Dalli and another staunch Labour die-hard.

As with the Mary Spiteri biography, the VCA had also refused to provide details on the funds spent on Dalli’s solo exhibition.