Sziget has been approached by Rock Against Racism (RAR), a movement that has been fighting social inequality for more than thirty years, to stage in collaboration with the British Embassy part of the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. Day Zero (11 August) of Sziget will kick off on with a monster series of concerts entitled "MUSIC AGAINST RACISM". The Main Stage programmes will start at noon and prevalently feature talented young Hungarian rock bands, as well as international guests. Meanwhile on the World Music Main Stage it will be a day of jazz, including a real festival curio: some of the worlds best musicians who have collaborated with Miles Davis will be paying a musical tribute – in the company of Indian musicians – to the legendary trumpet player. All this for free with a camping ticket, and half price of the one day ticket (5000 HUF, 20 €) for everyone else.

The Rock Against Racism movement originally came together for a single concert in 1976, born out of outrage against alleged racist and fascist remarks made by rock legends Eric Clapton and David Bowie. The one-off occasion turned into a number of festivals that mobilised huge crowds against rising racism in seventies Britain. Performers included Steel Pulse, the Tob Robinson Band and The Clash. RAR organised a number of successful campaigns in the late 70's and early 80's, and celebrated the 30^th anniversary of their 1979 London event with a hugely popular concert in Victoria Park.

RAR was re-launched as Love Music Hate Racism in 2002, their concerts and festivals have included the Kaiser Chiefs, Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Babyshambles, Kelly Rowland (Destiny's Child), Basement Jaxx, Jerry Dammers (The Specials), Get Cape Wear Cape. Fly, Estelle, The View, Kasabian, Ms Dynamite, Kano, Asian Dub Foundation, Belle & Sebastian, Antiflag, and Hard-Fi. Their latest project was a concert in Stoke-on-Trent to an audience of 20 000 on 30^th May during the EP elections campaign.

RAR organisers have approached Sziget – via the British Embassy – with an opportunity for collaboration. In light of recent events in Hungary, RAR was keen that Sziget should host a series of concerts which would demonstrate to festivalgoers the alliance and protest of musicians against negative discrimination based on people's appearance.  On 11 August, Day Zero of Sziget, the Main Stage will serve as a platform for the stars and young talents of Hungarian rock using the "positive energy of music" to promote equal human rights. The British RAR movement will be proving at Sziget what immense forces music alone can mobilise for a good cause, regardless of political views. Sziget organisers have pledged any potential profit from the day to a Hungarian NGO that works for the same goals.

The party will continue with jazz at the Budapest Jazz Klub venue with help from Dopeman and Anna and the Barbies.

Miles From India

This cross-cultural celebration of the music of Miles Davis comes via a rarely seen super-production with some of the world's best jazz musicians who had played with Miles Davies, plus outstanding Indian musicians of our day.

In 2008 a two disc album was published, called Miles from India. It all started when producer Bob Belden, whilst working on the release of Miles Davis: The Complete on the Corner Sessions "discovered" that between 1972-74 Davis invited Indian musicians to play in his band. Belden then approached the Asian-American Yusuf Gandhi who runs the small independent record label Four Quarters. He immediately came aboard the project remembering the spirit of Davis in the company of Indian musicians.

This will be the chapter of Miles' life remembered with the help of twelve American and Indian musicians, most of whom had been protégés of Davis and later became defining figures of contemporary jazz in their own right, a veritable who's who of jazz greats. To name but a few: Badal Roy, one of the world's best tabla players, who played in the bands of Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, John McLaughlin and Dizzy Gillespie in the past. Tenor saxophonist Bill Evans, from fusion jazz masters The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Darryl Jones, the bassist of The Rolling Stones since 1993, also previously featured on the albums of Mike Stern, John Scofield, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Madonna and Eric Clapton. Keyboard player Robert Irving III, who had been Miles Davis' right hand man for 12 years and since then played with Murray, Wallace Roney and Lenny White. Drummer Ndugu Chancler, who played with Freddie Hubbard, Santana and Herbie Hancock. Alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, called one of the brightest new stars of jazz according to Down Beat magazine. And last but not least, Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton, considered one of the most charismatic figures of neo-bop who already has twelve albums under his belt and played with the likes of Elvin Jones, Eddie Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman and Joe Henderson.

The day will be a cross-cultural celebration of the music of Miles Davis, and since this formation only comes together for special occasions this concert is an unmissable once in a lifetime treat for all fans of jazz, rock, funk and world music.

The Line-up

Nicholas Payton - trumpet, Robert Irving III - keyboards, Darryl Jones - bass, Rudresh Mahanthappa - alto saxophone, Bill Evans - tenor saxophone, Badal Roy - tabla, U. Shrinivas - mandolin, Ndugu Chancler - drums, Vince Wilburn - drums, Selva Ganesh - khanjira, Hidayat Khan - sitar, V.K. Raman - flute, vocals.