The refugee experience is timeless. People have always migrated, but many have done so without choice, often facing impossible challenges. So while we lament the difficulties of staying home during lockdown, this concert reminds us of those who have been forced to leave their homes.

From the World to Whittlesea is a livestreamed concert held on the 25 June 2020, featuring local poet Khalid Al’Hili, Bukjeh Storytellers, musicians including the popular local Duo Alcides, and an exciting trio, Vardos, who have performed their Romany influenced music around the world.

Featured Artists

Meena Shamaly

Meena Shamaly is a composer, musician, poet and radio presenter. As a composer, his work centres around creating music for stories, through the mediums of film, video games and theatre. As a songwriter and poet, he tells stories about hope, justice, faith, and reasons to love and laugh. He also collaborates with other poets and songwriters in creating stories together, and helps produce and arrange their work to highlight the best aspects of their art.

Tide

Originally from a small country town a few hours out of São Paulo, Brazil, Tide is a Melbourne-based guitarist and vocalist. He plays traditional Brazilian music: Samba-Jazz, Baião, Chula and Afoxé genres which have a strong African origin and South American Indigenous and European influences.

Inspired by the likes of Brazilian contemporary songwriters Gilberto Gil and João Bosco, Tide has developed a distinctive percussive style, melding fingerstyle and articulate strumming techniques to achieve a dynamic, delicate and varied sound. The result is an organic and authentic style of traditional Brazilian music.

Vardos

Vardos is an all-female violin/accordion/double bass trio based in Melbourne, Australia, known for their energetic performance style. Driven by Alana's wild violin, chased by accordion and double bass, Vardos play folk and Romany music learnt from Roma (Gypsy) musicians and outstanding local music specialists during their travels in Eastern Europe. They have been serenading audiences around the world since late last century.

Aseel Tayah

Aseel Tayah is a performer, vocalist and installation artist. Born in Jerusalem, Palestine, she considers herself a non-traditional Arab Muslim woman. Aseel graduated from the College of Arts with honours and makes art with a desire to make changes in the world. Aseel’s life has encouraged her to make art that represents what an Arab Muslim woman faces in the world. For Aseel, art is an act of resistant and a tool to survive.