Anne Quesney from refugee charity Waltham Forest Migrant Action writes about Connection in Sounds, an eclectic live gig in Walthamstow earlier this month that celebrated music from across the globe
On Thursday, 11th December, just a week short of International Migrants Day, over 150 people gathered at the Walthamstow Trades Hall for an evening of global music. Spanning different genres and continents, bands and DJs united in solidarity with migrants.
Connection in Sounds is a collaboration between local charity Waltham Forest Migrant Action and Turkish/ British alternative electronic trio, ZELT, and is supported by local independent music label Mais Um Discos, who’ve just signed up Lebanese producer and DJ, Jana Saleh. She performed a DJ set at the event alongside Leensaa Getachew, a local Oromo vocalist, Zelt and Nkomba, while Lewis Robinson from Mais Um spun some tunes through the night.
Leensaa, a refugee, kicked off the proceedings, singing acapella, her beautiful voice filling the hall, and London-based band, Nkomba, brought their vibrant mix of Malawian folk and African roots, ending the night in a rousing finale that kept everyone dancing until closing.
But the evening wouldn’t have been possible without the close partnership with ZELT. Their relationship with Migrant Action goes back to 2018 when the band partnered with the charity to present their debut show in Walthamstow, backed up by a ten-piece, all-female drum ensemble. Given the global nature of their music, ZELT feel strongly about connecting it with their political stance on immigration – for without it they wouldn’t be making the music they make.
ZELT evolved into the current trio after original band members, Phil Seddon and Dave Adams, met Semra Bulut in 2019.
She’d been to one of their gigs and, post-Covid, they invited her to join them on stage for their relaunch and discovered that, in addition to playing darbuka, she is also a gifted singer. Semra is Turkish.
She grew up in the Thrace region, where the culture is an awesome mix of Balkan and Eastern European vibes. Both her parents play instruments and sing, so she grew up to the sound of thracian beats, and the traditional music Rumeli. In Thrace, music and dancing are literally everywhere, especially at weddings.
Most of the music is built on unusual, complex time signatures like 9/8 and 7/8, which you hear a lot in Eastern European, Balkan music too. And when a 9/8 track drops, everyone unites on the dance floor. It’s an incredible experience.
Semra’s passion for music really exploded when she travelled across Turkey, meeting and playing with wonderful musicians, including in the Kurdish region where they organised festivals. The government eventually banned them, but that never stopped them from gathering, playing, and creating together.
As the situation deteriorates for migrants here in the UK, Semra remains hopeful. Music is a powerful connector – a source of strength, healing and joy, as well as a form of resistance.
From playing festivals in the Kurdish region, to supporting grassroots organisation like Waltham Forest Migrant Action, she has seen how music can open hearts and create brave spaces, where unity, solidarity and safety become a reality for everyone.
And Connections in Sound did just that. It brought people from across our community closer together, united by their love of music and appetite for justice, at a time of growing uncertainty for people seeking safety.
Find out more about Waltham Forest Migrant Action here
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