Watch: Israeli Professor Sings ‘L-Aħħar Bidwi F’Wied il-Għasel’ In The Valley Itself As Ode To Malta
An Israeli professor with a deep love for Malta has graced us with an ode to our country, perfectly singing ‘L-Aħħar Bidwi F’Wied il-Għasel’ while standing in the valley of Mosta itself.
It’s the thirteenth time Professor Aharon Geva Kleinberger has visited Malta, with his first time being back in 1966 when he was just three years old.
In the video, Kleinberger, from the University of Haifa in Israel, is standing in Wied il-Għasel, the beautiful valley that divides the locality of Mosta right in half.
He perfectly sings the classic song on the loss of rural practices and agriculture in Malta, having learned the Maltese language over the years and being a fluent speaker.
Lovin Malta reached out to Professor Kleinberger to hear more about his endeavours and the love he has for the country.
Asked why he loves the island so much, Kleinberger said, “I love Malta because of its people. Additionally, the Maltese people preserve very ancient features of Semitic languages. As a speaker of Hebrew, which is also a Semitic language and as a professor of Arabic dialects and Semitic languages, I can appreciate the joint comparative linguistic and cultural environment”.
“We have lots in common. I love the Maltese people since they are honest and kind and I am also attached to their suffering during WW2. I am now in a sabbatical year from my university and since Malta is deep in my heart- I am here,” he said.
Kleinberger was well aware that the song is an ode to the very valley he recorded the video in, and he personally urged Malta to protect these areas.
“Malta has to protect this magnificent valley that is connected to its roots and legacy. It has a wonderful nature that must be protected as described in the song,” he said.
“Also, the ‘last farmer’ is a significant symbol for the loss of agricultural life not only in Malta but also all around the world. Farmers are a mirror for the simple life in its positive meaning since they preserve valuable human values that are becoming obsolete,” he explained.
Kleinberger also had a message for the people of Malta, urging that the loss of the Maltese language should be at the forefront of interest.
“I think that a project must be done in Malta to connect songs to specific places in Malta and Gozo in order that the young generation will deepen its historical knowledge, language, customs and folklore,” he said.
“All of it must be done through emotions and documentation of elderly people. Proverbs die out all over the world and they contain valuable wisdom.”
“The Maltese language is unique in its nature and without it, all the roots of the nation can, alas, be lost as if they had never existed under the skies of the Mediterranean sea.”
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