Key of Sea with The CatEmpire, Blue King Brown @ ThePrince Bandroom, Melbourne(11/11/2010)

Mon 22nd Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

The Key of Sea doctrine states ‘Eleven Tracks, Eleven Stories’, showing
that this project is not only about musical collaboration, but each song
tells a story as well. The Key of Sea album is a collaborative work of
musical art, blending cultures and languages. Some of Australia’s best
known and politically switched-on musicians such as Blue King Brown and
The Cat Empire joined together with our nation’s asylum seekers and
refugees to create, as one reviewer quoted ‘the most important Australian
album ever made.’ A beautiful story of songs compiled to raise funds for
the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, Refugee Survivors and Ex
Detainees (RISE); and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, a human rights
organisation working toward making Australia’s refugees feel safe, secure,
and welcome.

On this night at The Prince Bandroom in St Kilda, a sold-out crowd
gathered to celebrate the launch of this significant album, to listen to
some of the artists play songs and share their stories, and to pay respect
to the refugees who have landed in this country during a very troubled
economic and political time.

Opening up the evening’s show was a soft and soothing acoustic set by
Morika Rebiteka, playing fresh organic sounds with a hint of gypsy and
Balkan flair. A perfect start to the evening, as the crowd moved forward
and joined hands to form a Greek-style line, arms linked together. There
was a warm feeling in the room, a special intimate vibe that set the night
off just right.

African-born hip-hop group Diafrix took the stage for an energetic set of
live hip-hop, funk, and soul. MCs Azmarino and Momo brought the energy
up with their blend of Afro-beat rhythms, flowing lyrics, and dance hall
grooviness. With their latest album Concrete Jungle telling of the
struggle of a refugee displaced in the big city, Diafrix was a perfect
addition to the evening’s line-up. Blending true African roots music with a
dash of modern day Australian hip-hop, Diafrix smoothed the crowd with
their positivity and up-beat lyrics. Their contribution to The Key Of Sea
album was a collaboration with fellow hip-hop/reggae group Blue King Brown,
who were also on the night’s line-up. All just a taste of what was to come.

With quick changes in-between sets, The Vasco Era transitioned the
evening into a loud rock, bluesier feel. The crowd tightened in as Sid
O’Neil belted out his lyrics and the entire band gyrated on the stage
around him in what was quite an impressive live show. Although they did
stand out musically from the rest of the evening’s line-up, it’s fair to
state that The Vasco Era showed an exuberance and energy, both in vocal
delivery and instrumentation, by comparison. One of the highlights of the
entire evening’s show came when asylum seeker Yousif Aziz, a famous
musician in his home country of Iraq, joined the band onstage for a live
rendition of their track Habibi, straight from The Key Of Sea record.
Amazingly powerful, Aziz sang in Hebrew chanting “Habibi, Habibi” as he
sang out to his beloved and The Vasco Era played the backline; powerfully
emotional and moving. This was a perfect way to capture the heart and soul
of the listeners. We were listening.

Known for speaking out politically on human rights issues in Australia and
worldwide, Blue King Brown were the perfect musical advocates for this
event’s cause. The world-fusion reggae hip-hope supergroup has been long been known to show their true respect for all Indigenous people and asylum seekers. The energy of frontwoman Natalie Pa’apa’a never ceases to amaze, as she captured the audience with her soul-deep inspirational lyrics yet calming peacefulness. In due
time, Diafrix joined the BKB crew on stage for a perfect rendition of their
collaborative track Streets Are Getting Hot, who then spoke their words
about the meaning and importance of this project. “It comes down to that
simple human feeling of needing safety and security.”

Right before the crowd was about to be taken on a wild ride with The Cat
Empire, The Key Of Sea brainchild and civil rights leader Hugh Crosthwaite
stepped on stage to give his thanks for all the musicians and supporters who collaborated to make the project happen. To Crosthwaite, the Key of Sea project is about bringing together musical ideas, genres, and cultures together to create a diverse multicultural stand up for human rights. An album to show the rest of Australia and the world how diverse our county’s inhabitants are, and to show that, regardless of race or class, we are all equal.

With a good dose of musical talent from all over the globe, the night’s
final set commenced with Melbourne hometown treat The Cat Empire taking
stage with their wizardry of reggae, dub funk sounds. Seemingly an intimate
setting for band of this calibre, this was a treat for any fan who could
now get the up-close and personal live show. Playing mostly songs off their
latest album Cinema, vocalists Felix Riebl and Harry Angus switched
between the limelight, taking listeners on a trip around the world with a
taste of Latin, Afro-beat, reggae, dub, and a blend of Australian fusion.

Amazing horn solos broke out as each player took their turn and Riebl
enjoyed a dance at the front of the stage. As the set became a bit more
serious, Angus shared their story of recording with Ethiopian musician
Anbessa Gebrihiwot, stating that it was an amazing experience to learn
about another culture’s music, which was what the album was all about;
joining together to form some kind of unity. Gebrihiwot then joined the stage
to perform their track Zero, which told the story of what it’s like being
away from home. The mood dampened somewhat at this point, possibly owing to the fact that it was one of the few down-tempo tracks performed in the evening. Yet perhaps it was more a case of the reality of the situation hitting home, and just why a project such as this is needed.

The night was, nonetheless, a true success. Here’s hoping that The Key Of Sea album does make #1 on the charts, to raise awareness, to provide resources for refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, and to support our fellow humans who have been displaced from their roots and now call this country home.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT HERE