Melbourne musicians are deeply concerned with fighting for human rights issues, as seen by the music community’s support for Refugee Action Collective Victoria - a political lobby group that has been fighting Australia’s oppressive laws surrounding refugees for the last nine years. Since 2000, RAC has campaigned for refugee rights, coordinating actions at Woomera and Baxter detention centres and other major demonstrations, organizing media stunts, and awareness raising campaigns.

The evening begins at 7pm with a screening of 'Australia's Pacific Solution,' Kate Durham and Sarah McDonald's controversial documentary about off-shore detention centres that the Australian media, including the ABC, would not show.

An eclectic night of international music follows, featuring:

• The Conch, an 11-piece Cuban-style band
• Moroccan and Algerian dance music from La Kasbah
• Hip-hop from Melbourne based Tamil/Singhalese Pataphysics
• Sudanese singer and songwriter Ajak Kwai, just back from a tour in Perth. Ajak
  has recorded numerous CDs, and is a tireless campaigner for human rights
• Greek composer Irini Vela (whose first name means ‘peace’) with the bazouki
• Kurdish music from Ali Coban with percussionist Evie. Ali first played at the Refugee Action Collective’s Tampa rally last August, where he performed with Sudanese refugees

Door prizes presented cabaret burlesque-style by the Bonanza Raffle Girls, and a special performance by Sam Starr, hula-acrobista (who recently performed with the Voodo Trash Dolls in their Dirty Little Burlesque Show), make this an international carvivale evening not to be missed.

Tickets are $12 waged or $8 unwaged, available on the door on the night. Door prizes courtesy of Nova Cinema, Readings Bookshop, Loophole community space, and other community groups concerned with refugee rights.

All proceeds go to the Victorian Refugee Action Collective: fighting for an Australia where refugees are welcomed, not persecuted.

Check what happened at this event