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Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of war and enflamed the passions of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. The band is a potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere through unimaginable hardship and emerge with optimism intact. From their humble beginnings in West African refugee camps Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording bands.

Throughout the 1990s, the West African country of Sierra Leone was wracked with a bloody, horrifying war that forced millions to flee their homes. The musicians that would eventually form Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are all originally from Freetown, and they were forced to leave the capital city at various times after violent rebel attacks. Most of those that left the country made their way into neighboring Guinea, some ending up in refugee camps and others struggling to fend for themselves in the capital city of Conakry.

Ruben Koroma and his wife Grace had left Sierra Leone in 1997 and found themselves in the Kalia refugee camp near the border with Sierra Leone. When it became clear they would not be heading back to their homeland anytime soon, they joined up with guitarist Francis John Langba (aka Franco), and bassist Idrissa Bangura (aka Mallam), other musicians in the camp whom they had known before the war, to entertain their fellow refugees. After a Canadian relief agency donated two beat up electric guitars, a single microphone and a meager sound system, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars were born.

American filmmakers Zach Niles and Banker White encountered the band in the Sembakounya Camp, and were so inspired by their story they ended up following them for three years as they moved from camp to camp, bringing much needed joy to fellow refugees with their heartfelt performances. Eventually, the war in Sierra Leone came to an end, and over time the All Stars returned to Freetown, where they met other returning musicians who joined the band’s rotating membership. It was there in the tin-roofed shacks of Freetown’s ghettos that Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars recorded the tracks that ended up, along with unplugged recordings made in the refugee camps, being the basis for their debut album, “Living Like a Refugee”, which was released on the label Anti in 2006.

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Cumbancha Presents Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars' "Libation"

Cumbancha Presents Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars' "Libation"

Source: Press Junkie PR

Africa’s most inspirational band, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, celebrates ten years together with its finest album to date. Libation’s “around-the-campfire” intimacy, honest soulfulness, and technical prowess reveal how far the group has come while remaining true to its roots. Produced by Chris Velan and mixed by Iestyn Polson, known for his work with David Gray, Patti Smith and David Bowie, Libation embodies the contagious joy, optimism in the face of struggle and love for their fellow man that has ...

Performance / Tour

Bombino & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Now Touring Across North America

Bombino & Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Now Touring Across North America

Source: Chris M. Slawecki

Summer isn't over yet. Bombino and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are each touring now across the US & Canada and chances are one or both will be performing near you. Here's a guide to upcoming shows. Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars August 11: Pasadena, CA: Levitt Pavilion: FREE August 12: Tidewater, OR: Beloved Festival August 14: Seattle, WA: The Triple Door August 15: Seattle, WA: The Triple Door August ...

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