Bayzo facts for kids

Bayzo (born Tony Camilleri on April 3, 1947) was a well-known singer from Malta. He was born in St. Paul's Bay. People remembered him for his special voice and popular songs. One of his famous songs was "Qalu li raw," which was played at the Malta Song Festival in 1986. Bayzo passed away on February 1, 2018, at the age of 70.

Bayzo's Music Career

Starting with The Malta Bums

Bayzo had a long career in music, lasting for many years. He was one of the main singers in a group called The Malta Bums. One of their songs, L-Ewwel Tfajla li ħabbejt, is still remembered today.

Bayzo, along with other singers like Freddie Portelli, Brethren Paul, Mario Perrone, Tony Muscat, and Tony Bartolo, used to meet and sing in the fields of St. Paul's Bay. This is how The Malta Bums group started. At first, they were just called The Bums.

With The Malta Bums, Bayzo lived and performed in Germany for six months. This was around the end of 1967, and it was there that he started the show called Viva Malta.

Performing at Festivals

After leaving The Malta Bums, Bayzo formed his own group called Bayzo's Clikka. This group performed in many hotels and nightclubs. They also took part in lots of music festivals and musicals.

Bayzo traveled to Australia, Canada, and the United States. He sang and performed for Maltese people who had moved to those countries.

He also represented Malta in some music competitions held in countries like Poland and Slovakia.

Bayzo in Film

Bayzo even had a role in a film! He was in the RAI film called "Cristoforo Colombo" (which means Christopher Columbus) in 1984. Parts of this movie were filmed in Malta, and other parts were filmed in the Dominican Republic. Bayzo spent six weeks working on this film set, alongside actors John Suda and Lino Mintoff.

Singing in Rock Operas

Bayzo was also part of "Dream," which was the first rock opera ever made in Malta. A rock opera is like a musical play where the story is told mostly through rock music. "Dream" was first performed at the Manoel Theatre in 1974.

In 1982, he was one of the singers in another popular rock opera in Malta called "The Lord." People respected Bayzo for his unique singing style and for always being patient and calm.

Awards and Recognition

• On June 27, 2013, Bayzo received a special award called l-Midalja Ġieħ San Pawl il-Baħar. This award recognized his contributions.

His Passing

Bayzo passed away on February 1, 2018, at the age of 70. Malta's Labour Party, a political party in Malta, said that Bayzo's death was a big loss for the Maltese music scene. They said that for many years, he was known as one of the most important people in Maltese music. They remembered his performances around the world that helped promote Maltese music, and especially his strong performances in rock operas.