Like a love boat headed straight for Trinidad and Tobago, Mighty Duke & The Lords come prepared.

The stage is decked out in a tropical theme and the five members are all dressed in nautical attire. Driven by trombone and saxophone, the five-piece play summer party music; more specifically, Calypso. Transporting the audience to a faraway destination, they instantly set the mood for the final night of Australasian World Music Expo (AWME) and the festivities to come.

The Ska Vendors are a guaranteed good time, every time. With a repertoire of classic covers and now their own new album to draw from, they cherry pick a best-of set that draws from both Jamaican and British influences. Performing as a ten-piece, they use five different members as lead vocalists throughout the night, highlighting not just their breadth of style but also their musicianship.

Bustamento hit the stage with a surprising amount of energy particularly given that they arrived just moments before on a delayed flight from Sydney. Leader Nicky Bomba tells us he lost his credit card and left his phone in the taxi. They soldier on and, in fitting with tonight’s visual theme, draw from their Intrepid Adventures To The Lost Riddim Islands album.

While the world’s politicians are on show in Brisbane, the world’s music is proudly showcased in Melbourne and who better to fly the flag than Melbourne Ska Orchestra. A mixture of age, gender and background, the clan of 25 musicians take to The Hi-Fi stage with style and swagger. A big band in every sense of the world, the group have continually honed their act, with performances earlier this year at Glastonbury and Montreal Jazz Festival. Playing selections from their self-titled album of 2013, Get Smart seems straight from a spy film, Lygon Street Meltdown rivals the hauntingly beautiful Gangsters (by The Specials) and their take on the 1920s classic Best Things In Life Are Free has the entire dancefloor, and indeed venue, moving. As band leader, Bomba not only plays the role of conductor but also puppeteer, with the audience in the palm of his hands for the entire set. Melbourne Ska Orchestra are nominated for a Best Live Act ARIA next week. Give them the trophy now.