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Exodus
Umoja Events Scotland
Friday 20 June 2008 - World Refugee Day
Black and White Club (G2 6AA)
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'Let your hair down at the official Refugee Week Scotland party with Number One African DJ Georges (Awaz FM) and DJ Abenna playing all your favourite tunes, plus live performance from Cuban singer and percussionist, Ricardo Fernandez.'
Approximate Attendance: 389
Background
Following Refugee Week Scotland 2005, Mickey was referred to Scottish Refugee Council as a young person with an interest in music, theatre and the arts. With Scottish Refugee Council's encouragement and support, Mickey formed Fugees United with his friends, and went on to record an album and create a website, which were launched as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2006. The success of this inspired Mickey to start promoting music as a career, and so began Umoja Events Scotland. This promotional and events company runs Glasgow's only Afro-Caribbean Urban Club Nights. Through all his work, Mickey encourages cultural collaboration and integration amongst Glasgow's communities, both new and old.
Overview of Event
For Refugee Week Scotland 2008, Mickey and his team at Umoja Events Scotland held a club night in Glasgow's Black & White club, billed as the official Refugee Week Scotland Party to mark World Refugee Day. Entertainment throughout the evening included number one African DJ Georges (Awaz FM) and DJ Abena playing hip-hop, Afro beats, RnB, reggae and dancehall music. Cuban singer and percussionist Ricardo Fernandez also performed live.
All proceeds were donated to charities that support refugees and asylum seekers.
In FOCUS: Mickey Saad
In 2002, at the age of 17, Mohsen Saad, also known as Mickey, arrived in Glasgow from Somalia as an unaccompanied minor. He enrolled to study Scottish Contemporary Theatre at Langside College in Glasgow's south side before going on to study at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies in the city-centre. Three years later, his motivation paid off when he was put in touch with the Arts & Cultural Development Officer at Scottish Refugee Council, who offered Mickey vital support in realising his ambitions. With his friends, Mickey formed a musical collective - Fugees United - and over the next few months they wrote and produced their first professional album. Mickey describes this time as being "a great learning experience" as he was involved at every stage, from writing the songs and the arrangements, right through to designing the album cover. He says that the album changed his whole life, giving him and his friends a voice. Their main drive was to show that many problems faced by young people were the same, wherever you are from, and that the Fugees United status as asylum seekers should not set them apart from other young people.
For Mickey having a career in music and drama would have been unimaginable in Somalia, and so it is not surprising that he has grabbed all the opportunities he has been given in Glasgow, and worked hard to capitalise on them. For example, in terms of the wider music scene, he felt that there was a lack of variety in Scotland and, having identified this gap, he decided to set up his own events management company, Umoja Events Scotland. Umoja works to break down cultural and racial barriers, showcases and produces artists, offers advice, works with schools and exchanges skills with London-based musicians. Mickey also believes that there could be better investment in the rich and varied talents of the many refugees who now live here. His dream would be to have an artistic development centre where people from all walks of life could come and share ideas, record and get advice, remarking that this would be particularly beneficial for refugees, as making links with funders and professional bodies can be very challenging.
For Mickey, Glasgow is now his home, and yet before he arrived here he had never even heard of it. To him, the UK meant London, but he could not be happier at how things have turned out for him. His positive experiences here have instilled in him a desire to give back, saying that "Glasgow is the best thing that has ever happened to me … whilst Scotland gives to me, I'll give to it." |
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