Objectives:

[DONATE A BEAT]

  • Donate a beat to those artists in refugee camps, prisons, remote communities and war zones with little access to beat making technology and help us keep the United Struggle Project going.
  • Record music and make music video clips addressing issues face by displaced people with artists in affected areas, including collaborative songs with a representative from each place
  • Forum for displaced people to express their stories through music, theatre, video and documentary making
  • Create networks to unite global struggles and create links with artists globally
  • Target racism against refugees and First Nations peoples in the broader community

Background and Inspirations

I was first inspired to do this project whilst I was in Kenya filming the documentary Ghetto Moto (fire) about the journey of a hip-hop spoken word poet after the post election violence. During the filming I was approached daily by artists from the slums in Nairobi to produce music videos of their songs. I noticed the huge demand and lack of accessible equipment and skills in video production for people in these poverty stricken areas. I also noticed a wealth of talent and wisdom.

I met a Rwandan refugee in Nairobi who got me to film a music video for his song One Nation Africa. He told me of many other artists like himself but who were still trapped in refugee camps. After the success and popularity for the music videos in the slums I thought why not try and reach artists in these camps and give them the same opportunity to record music and communicate their issues through video. This could be achieved by working with the artists from the slums to tour these camps and put on collaborative concerts and recordings… a learning curve for all parties involved.

Through my journeys I have had the pleasure to witness  some incredible talent and insight hidden in these isolated places of limbo.

An example of uniting artists and struggles is the song ‘Bow Down No Way’, a collaborative track between Shoeshine Boy from Mukurru slum and Adel from Star Studios in Nairobi with Monkeymarc (Combat Wombat) and myself. The video clip was shot in Nairobi, Melbourne and Alice Springs. It has had a good response and draws parallels between the poverty of indigenous people in Australia and Africa and unites their struggles.

I have been working in remote aboriginal communities all over Australia since 2000.
I have seen a very positive response from the kids and the community to the music and video workshops. They have proven to be a fantastic way for youth to voice their issues. Even though Australia is a very multicultural society there is a definite underlying racism that needs to be addressed in the cases of refugees and indigenous people. Music, being a universal language, can be a very effective way to address the issues of racism in society.

My main motivation is my love for music and belief in social and environmental justice. Music can be used as a tool for change and education to break down walls, create common ground and unite common struggles.

United Struggle Project

 DOWNLOAD MUSIC HERE [http://unitedstruggleproject.bandcamp.com]

 Word up producers of phatt beats of many flavours, we want your beats from all corners of the world.

 Delve deep into your hard drives…..

 Let your beats host unheard voices of displaced peoples against repression.

 Collaborate and unite by donating a beat to the United Struggle project creating links with producers and artists globally.