You’ll Never Be As Big Of An Ira Losco Fan As This 30-Year-Old Man
Ira Losco is by far one of Malta’s biggest superstars, and it doesn’t seem like her popularity will be dying down any time soon. The face of Malta’s Eurovision sweetheart and chart-topper has been immortalised forever… as a tattoo on a Maltese man’s arm.
Lovin Malta reached out to the man, Joseph Barber Bonavia, to find out more about the story behind the Ira tattoo, and it turns out his obsession with the Maltese diva has been more than a decade and a half in the making.
“My love for local music has always been very present,” Joseph told Lovin Malta. “Back in 2000, I heard about this singer, back then in the Festival Kanzunetta Maltija, and later that same year in the Eurovision. From there, I was instantly hooked.”
“The more time passed, the more I found myself obsessing over her as a teenager. Wherever she sang, I was there, and I started collecting every sort of cutting which included her.” Those cuttings quickly turned into a collage on Joseph’s bedroom door, and are still there to this day.
Years down the road, Ira Losco’s music wasn’t the only thing that started to resonate with Joseph. “She quickly became my idol when it came to local music, and her music really inspired me in so many different ways. But I started to see her as so much more. She is an inspiration even when it comes to women, and I believe she’s the exemplary woman. It’s not just about her voice; all the things she’s done for gay rights, animal rights, and against domestic violence.”
Nowadays, Ira Losco’s face is everywhere in Joseph’s house. “I have her face and name on mugs, wall clocks, pockets, cushions, t-shirts, a quilt cover… I had even received a customised pair of shoes which I had worn to Sweden when I went up to the Eurovision Contest there supporting Ira.”
When it came to getting an actual tattoo of Losco’s face, though, Joseph decided to finally pluck up the courage and actually ask for her permission.
“She said she’d be very happy and honoured if I did it, but she reminded me that a tattoo is permanent,” Joseph told Lovin Malta. Clearly, that was all the go-ahead he needed. He took a screenshot from one of her most recent music videos (We Are The Soldiers), and told her that he’s going ahead with it after all.
“The last time we met was two weeks ago, while she was recording a concert which will be aired on TV this weekend,” Joseph told Lovin Malta. “I’m so happy and proud to have her face on my arm!”
Joseph has been a superfan of the Eurovision for a very long time now. Last year, just after Ira Losco represented Malta at the European music competition for the second year in her career, Bonavia got a tattoo of the Eurovision logo (and the Maltese flag) on his chest. Two other friends got the same tattoo.
So what’s next for Joseph’s tattoos?
“I want to get another local artist’s face tattooed, but not for now,” Joseph told Lovin Malta. He said he knows exactly who’s next, but doesn’t want to ruin the surprise just yet.
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