ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: THE BIG ISSUE, MARCH 2020
The term ‘multicultural’ is one that has been applied to the Australian landscape and social economy frequently over the years. It carries with it a positive and negative connotation (depending on which politician it is coming from), though what remains true is that within the culturally and linguistically diverse communities in this country there exists stories of strength. Stories of accomplishment through adversity. Stories of artistic creation and growth.
Melbourne based record label and initiative Music In Exile is providing a space for artists creating in these communities to thrive, and be seen on a national platform. Established by Bedroom Suck Records label head Joe Alexander, Music In Exile encourages originality, collaboration and opportunities to share the unique stories from artists from migrant and/or refugee backgrounds who now call Australian home.
Home to some of the country’s most intriguing new talent including Gordon Koang, Mindy Meng Wang and Ajak Kwai, Music In Exile builds trajectory for their artists in a way that does not intrude on their creative processes, nor do they profit. All income from Music In Exile activities go directly to their artists; at the time of writing, the initiative has generated over $80,000 for their roster.
Says Alexander of Music In Exile’s beginnings, the idea for this sort of label was born out of exploring the multitude of diverse communities in Melbourne alone.
“I come from an independent music background and have been an active part of the Australian scene for many years, touring in bands and running Bedroom Suck Records. I wanted to know whether there were other musicians out there having trouble accessing the scene. Whether [it] was because of language barriers, prejudice, social structures, geography, finances, whatever! It turns out, there are. We came across so many incredible musicians, artists like Gordon Koang and Ajak Kwai, who have so much to offer but have been unable to access the resources and the networks that those more privileged can access.”
The success stories began to flourish quickly. South Sudanese artist Koang became an industry-praised highlight of the 2019 BIGSOUND festival in Brisbane, and has gone on to become a favourite on Melbourne’s wider touring circuit. Also hailing from South Sudan, Kwai has also become a favourite with broader audiences as her stories of home, hope and freedom are delivered so beautifully across three different languages (English, Arabic and Sudanese).
The scope of the Music In Exile label has extended beyond Melbourne, with the introduction of hip-hop/soul artist Elsy Wameyo joining the fold from Adelaide in 2019. Twice nominated at the South Australian Music Awards in 2018 before winning at the event in 2019, Kenyan-born Wameyo’s presence and charm has already seen her perform alongside the likes of Maségo, Lady Léshur and the Hilltop Hoods..
Her music, marrying together her Christian background together with the myriad of challenges and new experiences she has gained from exploring young adulthood in contemporary Australia, has struck a chord with audiences around the country.
“Creating in Adelaide has given me room to be who I am.” Wameyo explains. “The music scene here is definitely smaller compared to cities like Melbourne and Sydney. I’m grateful for this because It left room for us as artists to shape and form how we wanted the scene to look like. It gave me the opportunity to add my flavour and colours. We’re definitely still growing and evolving. Very far from where we need to be but we’re moving in the right direction.”
“I’m really excited to bring music that says things that are not often spoken about.” she says. “I think as humans we go through a lot but get so uncomfortable and too scared to talk about it. I want to be authentic and raw, tell real stories that someone can relate to and not feel alone.”
As 2020 opens up more opportunities for the Music In Exile label to introduce themselves to more audiences Australia-wide, the roster of artists is hard at work in creating some of their best music yet. For Alexander, a new year (and new decade) poses many possibilities for Music In Exile artists and for the Australian music industry as a whole, as it moves further into a space of support for artists who buck the long-established moulds of accepted music here.
“I’ve learnt that the range of artists Music in Exile can represent is far more diverse than I initially imagined. When the label started, we expressly wanted to help artists that have recently settled in Australia, artists like Gordon Koang. I’ve since found that it can be really powerful to add a range of different voices to this conversation.”
“There are so many different lived experiences of ‘place' and of alienation, of struggling to find your place and struggling to be accepted for who you are. I think the term ‘Music in Exile’ has really struck a chord with a range of different artists, and I’m so glad that we are able to enter into this conversation with them. I feel very lucky to be doing this work.”