SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Members of the Yk Groove Crew plan to spin a diverse selection of tracks at Friday's Global Groove 4, a dance party at the Top Knight featuring contemporary music from around the planet.

Tamlin Gilbert will staff in the DJ booth at the Top Knight on Friday. He is planning a mix of world music to celebrate multicultural diversity. - NNSL file photo

"The music will be eclectic and fun," said DJ Tamlin Gilbert. "It has to be good quality, entertaining music from the heart; that's what I'm looking to play."

Musical influences include Somali, Armenian, aboriginal, Persian, Eritrean, Bhangra, Greek, Latin, Filipino, French, Turkish, Mandarin, Russian as well as hits from recent Bollywood films. Genres stretch from dance hall, house, drum and bass, acid jazz and hip hop to soul, rhythm and blues, disco and rock.

Half the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Yellowknife chapter of Amnesty International, a worldwide organization that campaigns in support of human rights and freedoms. In addition to programming music for the Yk Groove Crew, Gilbert has also volunteered with Amnesty International for the past year.

The group participates in letter-writing campaigns to appeal to the Canadian government and other governments to seek to intervene in specific cases of human rights violations.

"I believe that every person in society has to have recourse to justice," Gilbert said. "Society needs to be just in order to exist and I think governments have a duty to carry out governance in a just manner."

Gilbert said Amnesty International volunteers will be available at Friday's event to share information and answer questions about the organization's local efforts.

Participants are encouraged to come dressed in their favourite kurta, kaftan, dashiki, kilt, abaya, barong, kimono, sari and other traditional clothing. Cash prizes will be awarded for the two best traditionally-dressed revellers. The dance floor opens at 8 p.m.