Racists strike as Baluci charity concert flops

by Michaela Muscat for MaltaToday on 06/11/2005

“Melita”’s xenophobic protectors have struck again. Organist Claire Baluci, whose concert for African children drew meagre audiences and failed to recoup its costs, has had her billboards defaced in what has been described as yet another racist act of protest.

Baluci, whose concerts failed to attract sponsorships from companies on grounds that it was held in aid of African children, suffered the brunt of a racist wave when her billboards, one in Marsa and another at the University bypass, were splattered with black paint.
On in the internet, followers of extreme rightist Norman Lowell, congregating on the virtual forum on vivamalta.org, posted comments lauding the vandal attacks. The thread title reads ominously: “Claire Baluci is not appreciated”.

Under the heading, aghast forum members protested at Baluci’s gall at organising a charity concert for the benefit of impoverished and disease-ridden African children.

Other remarks echoed excuses made by companies which refused sponsorship or pulled out of Baluci’s concert when they found out that the aid was directed towards African children. The sponsors’ official response, Baluci had told MaltaToday, was that their policy was to donate to Maltese charities: “the one thing I noticed that spurred on a change in attitude was that we decided to do it for the children of Africa,” Baluci said.

The star of the concert was audibly upset when she spoke to this newspaper about the vandalism on her billboards: “I wasn’t expecting this but I have met a lot of people who support our cause and told me not to worry as it only shows how sad and stupid they are. It’s a fact that whether people in need are black or white, we have to help them. And no matter what they say about charity beginning at home, I don’t think that there are any Maltese children literally dying of hunger or from water-borne diseases.”

Peculiar of a Maltese society that takes pride in “helping the less fortunate”, Baluci’s concert ended up making a loss since not enough tickets were sold to cover the costs. Baluci has been the recipient of rave reviews and usually sells out concerts abroad. Although the organisers would not have pocketed the profits, they still needed to cover the costs, meaning that ultimately no money will be donated to charity.

Dr Mark-Anthony Falzon, social anthropologist at the University of Malta, has an explanation for this new phenomenon:
“People in general find it easier to donate to distant and anonymous recipients. It is much simpler in a sense to give to ‘the poor black people of Africa’ than to a needy friend, or a refugee living round the corner. Remember, giving always entails receiving – the principle of reciprocity, that is. When recipients are faceless and de-personalised, the only connotations of reciprocity there are have to do with eternal bliss or TV publicity. As the recipients become real people, however, through immigration and such, the ambiguous element of reciprocity comes into play, and giving becomes more complicated.”

Still Falzon believes that trying to label the Maltese population as racist is “non-productive.”

“With respect to this particular incident, however, yes, some Maltese have acted in a racist way,” Falzon says. “Typically, racism is invariably the result of ignorance – the incident also shows a complete lack of understanding of the situation. In this particular instance the present undercurrent of xenophobia no doubt played its part as well. In truth, it is of course very stupid to associate ‘the children of Africa’, the recipients of the concert takings as advertised, with immigrants. They represent two different realities, the only common factor being skin colour. It seems that, for some at least, that common factor overrides all others.”

In chilling statements, the vivamalta.org forum members brandished remarks such as “charity begins at home” and “I just hope that the financial losses incurred will be borne by her and her partner in the flop.” The scathing commentary also included misogynist comments about Baluci, indeed reflective of the members the forum hosts.