Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Event Description

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are a group of musicians who escaped the horrific violence of Sierra Leone's civil war, landed in a West African refugee camp, and formed a band with humble beginnings that has grown to be an international musical sensation. An unbelievable testament to the human spirit, the journey of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars exemplifies the universal healing power of music.

Near the turn of the 21st Century, when Sierra Leone's war-ravaged capital was burning, thousands fled to neighboring countries. Among them were Reuben Koroma and Francis Lamgba (Franco) who began making music for fellow refugees in a camp in Guinea. The developing band was able to acquire a rusted-out sound system and beat up electric guitars as they moved from camp to camp playing their uplifting, can't-help-but-dance live shows, which included Black Nature, a teenage orphan with a gift for rap, as well as Abdulrahim Kamara (Arahim) and Mohamed Bangura (Medo), both of whom had had limbs amputated by the rebels. Recognizing the extremely high quality of musicianship, the United Nations was instrumental in financing the band's first studio recordings. The rest, as they say, is history.

Please join us for an uplifting evening of dance music by one of the greatest outfits ever to emerge from West Africa.