BEAUTIFUL WASTE - FINDING BEAUTY IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

Kristijan Volchev and Dylan Debono during one of their countless performances

What Happens When a Doctor and a Musician Face Cancer Together? They Write a Song. Before cancer, Dylan De Bono and Kristijan Volchev were musicians and best friends. Dylan, a doctor at Mater Dei Hospital and a Maltese pop artist, and Kristijan, a renowned guitarist and composer, shared years creating and touring together.

Then, cancer changed everything. It unexpectedly brought them back to music in an entire new way. Kristijan was diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer in October 2024 and passed away 10 months later, at the age of 36. During those final months, Dylan was there not only as a friend but as a doctor who understood the weight of what was coming. Between treatments, hospital visits often turned into quiet jam sessions, with guitars and laughter filling Kristijan’s room at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre. Music became their way to stay present, to find beauty in small moments and to keep creating. It was during these moments that “Beautiful Waste” took shape, written and recorded in Kristijan’s home studio during the final months of his life.

Originally an instrumental piece Volchev had been perfecting throughout the years, he revisited the track during his illness, completing it with Dylan by adding lyrics that reflect the fragility of life and the power of friendship. “Kristijan poured his soul into this song,” says De Bono. “He told me this was the one he wanted to be remembered by”.

Kristijan, a guitarist known for his versatility across flamenco, classical, rock and pop, remained committed to music until the very end, bringing warmth and humour into every note. Despite his illness, he considered ‘Beautiful Waste’ his legacy song.

For Dylan, a doctor and musician, finishing the song became a way to honour his friend  while reminding others that even in the hardest chapters, there are moments worth holding onto. ‘Beautiful Waste’ is not a song about cancer; it is a song about friendship, about choosing to create even in the hardest times and about finding beauty in times of uncertainty.

Rest in peace, dear Kristijan, and thank you for the music.

Beautiful Waste is available on all major streaming platforms.

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