'No Dominic no Tramps'

The brains behind one of the most popular Maltese bands ever to grace these islands died yesterday aged 55. Dominic Grech was the founder and lead singer of The Tramps, a Gozitan pop group that produced numerous hits including 'Ix-Xemx', 'Lilek irrid' and 'Għawdex Inti Djamant'. In his tribute, Pierre J Mejlak outlines the history of the band and the nostalgic tours amongst Maltese communities in North America and Australia. Joe Zammit, who played alongside Dominic Grech in the sixties, posted this comment on Mejlak's blog:

Barra li kont niltaqa' mieghu kull filghodu r-Rabat, lil Dumink kont ilni nafu minn zmien tfulietna. Kien dejjem jhewden biex jghaqqad grupp. Konna fl-ghaqda Zghazagh Haddiema Nsara u minn hemm huwa ghaqqad grupp vokali bl-isem The Rosebells. Kantajna l-ewwel darba fit-Teatru Aurora (il-qadim) fis-sena 1966. Wara transforma ruhu fi grupp strumentali GEMINI 5 u iktar tard THE TRAMPS. Kelli l-unur inkun wiehed minn dawk li hdimt, ovvjament, biex naraw l-ewwel grupp Popolari Ghawdxi gewwa l-Kanada, meta fil-MALTESE PROGRAMME FAN CLUB TA' TORONTO konna tellajna lil The Tramps hemmhekk ghal shows lill-emigranti. Huma kienu wkoll ghamlu diska 45 u kienu wkoll telghu Detroit.Il-memorji huma hafna... L-emigranti jilqghuhom b'hafna entuzjazmu....Dumink tat-Tramps kien pedina importanti ghall-muzika popolari li harget minn Ghawdex.