The Story Of… D’Amato Records in Valetta, Malta

Exclusive Interview By Karen Beishuizen
Interviewee: Anthony D’Amato
Photos courtesy of D’Amato Records

D’Amato Records is the oldest record shop in the world. It was founded in 1885 by Giovanni D’Amato in Valetta, Malta. They are currently in the 5th generation. The store has tens of thousands of records, vinyls, cds and cassettes. The music genres varies from Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, Jazz, K-pop and everything in between. Famous visitors over the years are musicians, actors, politicians and football players. When visiting Malta, it is a must to step inside the store. What you see is authentic and feels like stepping into a time machine. Beyond being historic, they strive to be one of the best stocked record shops in the world. What you see today is not a reconstruction or a nostalgic recreation, it is the real thing.

KB: Describe to the RSR readers when and by who D’Amato Records was founded?

D’Amato Records was founded in 1885 by Giovanni D’Amato. He was an Italian man who came from Naples.

KB: I read it is a family business. How many generations?

We are currently in the 5th generation

KB: It is believed that your store is the oldest one in the world? How does that feel?

It is the oldest record shop in the world. We have documentation dating back to the 1890s confirming that we were already trading in music at that time, and the shop has remained in the same location ever since. Unlike other historic record shops, such as Spillers Records in Cardiff, which openend later and has changed location several times. Our continuity has never been broken.
This is, of course, a great honour, but one that also brings with it a deep sense of responsibility to protect the legacy, uphold the standards, and ensure that this cultural institution continues to serve future generations.

KB: How many records, vinyls, cds, cassettes are in your store?

Tens of thousands.

KB: What music genres does your store cover?

We cover different genres mainly Rock, Pop, Hip hop, Jazz and everything in between… K-pop too..

KB: Which famous people have visited the store over the years?

We had various famous people coming through our doors… I wouldn’t like to name drop but over the years we had music and film artists , fashion designers, Presidents and Prime Ministers, famous footballers of the likes of Man UTD, World record holders etc.

KB: In which series or movies has D’Amato Records appear in?

We have local slots on local TV stations twice a week, sometimes more. We just had a feature on Reuters, BBC World news, Ryanair, Easy Jet, Rolex, CBS America, “Hidden Malta” on Apple TV and Amazon Prime, Polish TV, RT Television and quite a number of others… We have Turkish TV coming in next month. Countless magazines and books. Thankfully we have something going about twice a month.

KB: Describe to the RSR readers what they can expect on a visit to D’Amato Records?

Walking into the shop is like stepping into a time machine. My family has always been conservative in the best sense of the word, we never chased trends or followed fashions. We didn’t switch to neon in the 1980s, and we resisted the temptation to modernise for the sake of it. The original marble façade and wooden shop window are still intact. Inside, there are old Maltese tiles.. very old, and a décor that has changed little over the past century. What you see today is not a reconstruction or a nostalgic recreation. It is the real thing, very old school preserved through continuity rather than design.

KB: Why should people come to Valletta, Malta and visit D’Amato Records?

Our history explains who we are, but it doesn’t define our standards. Beyond being historic, we strive to be one of the best stocked record shops in the world. As I like to tell our clients, we’re only as good as our stock. The rest is history.

There is also a personal detail that many people find intriguing. I was born on the anniversary of Anthony D’Amato’s death, on the 14th of September. By another coincidence, I was born in 78, my father in 45, and if you deduct the numbers, you get to 33.

Of course, these are simply numbers, but they happen to be the three speeds of records: 33, 45, and 78. Some might say it’s coincidence, others might call it destiny. I simply see it as another quiet reminder that this place has always been part of our lives.

For more information, check out D’Amato Records on Instagram: Here

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