Late in 2019, through conversations with artists and industry alike, the idea for Music in Exile was born; a not-for-profit record label, and registered charity, that would support musicians living and working in Australia with lived experience of displacement and diaspora. Music in Exile exists to support artists who are experiencing the ongoing process of resettlement and of finding your feet in a new home. Building connections, meeting like minded creatives, writing and recording new work, learning how to navigate the ins-and-outs of an industry; this is full-time work for hundreds of artists every day.

The label started in 2019 with a two-track, 12” single recorded by South Sudanese legend and Dandenong resident, Gordon Koang. Tracked in a couple hours flat in an attic in Collingwood, Mal Mi Goa / Salaam (translating roughly as ‘Hi, how are you?’) became the opening statement for an artist already legendary in South Sudan, and quickly on the way to becoming so in his new home.

Thirty-five releases and five years later, the label continues support artists with incredibly valuable stories to tell, stories that have the power to unite us as a community. As Gordon himself is fond of saying - “When you clap your hands they will bring the sound. If it’s still one hand — no sound.”

The name? We’re not ashamed to admit it comes directly from a great album by the Malian legends Songhoy Blues, who were exiled from home and yet continued to make music wherever they went.

Five years down the track and another artist we spoke to recently, the great Maryam Rahmani, said last week - “Music is something to hold on to, that carries all my memories, my belongings, and all my thoughts and feelings.”

May we carry it bravely and be welcomed wherever we go.