Product Description

Living Like a Refugee is the realization of a lifelong dream for this inspiring band of Sierra Leonean musicians. Each song is an original composition written during their years in exile in the refugee camps. The powerful lyrics speak to the suffering and injustice they have seen but also reverberate with hopeful, optimistic rhythms.

Track Listing

1. Living Like A Refugee
2. Soda Soap
3. Weapon Conflict
4. Bull To The Weak
5. Big Lesson
6. Let We Do We Own
7. Smile
8. Compliments For The Peace
9. Pat Malonthone
10. Garbage To The Showglass
11. Akera Ka Abonshor
12. Kele Mani
13. I'm Not A Fool
14. Ya N'Digba
15. Refugee Rolling
16. Monkey Work
17. Ma Fo Ya

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63424 in Music
• Brand: Sierra
• Released on: 2006-09-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

Amazon.com
Made up of former displaced persons from the killing fields of Sierra Leone, members of the Refugee All Stars (a.k.a. R.A.S.) were forced to flee for their lives during the 1990s, fanning out into nearby West African nations. Through continued hard times, bandmates Reuben M. Koroma, Francis (Franco) Langba, and Abdul Rahim (Arahim) Kamara entertained and heartened their compatriots with truthful, gently satiric, liltingly infectious tunes. Filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles made a prize-winning documentary about the band's courageous struggle, thereby bringing their story to an international audience. Backed by Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, and other socially conscious celebrities, R.A.S. embarked on a rapturously received world tour and were at long last able to augment their earlier, but nonetheless invaluable, field recordings with professionally engineered studio tracks. The resulting seventeen songs travel through deceptively relaxed Sierra Leonean Palm Wine music, triple-rhythmed gbute vang and reggae-like sounds (complete with toasting), Nigerian Afro-Beat, and even echoes of Congolese soukous. Backed by sweet yet astringent vocal harmonies, sultry guitars, homemade percussion, and playfully retro-sounding organ riffs, each selection reveals still another facet of a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant saga of survival. At long last, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are poised to become the superstars they were always destined to be. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Instant classic!!!
I love it. I keep singing the songs over and over in my head (as does my two year old daughter!!!). I know the band is on tour this Fall too!!! I would love to see them. I like others have been so moved by this inspirational story!!! Everyone should also try and see the documentary movie that was made about them if they get a chance, what a wonderful story!

Living Like A Refugee
I certainly agree with Bill Flanagan at CBS News who said, "this music is fantastic...uplifting...and beautiful." It is especially inspirational given the fact that this amazingly powerful music comes from a group of musicians thrown together as a result of a gruesome, brutal war that took away their homes, their livelihoods and, in many cases, their entire families. And to fully appreciate the album, find a way to see the super documentary about this group. The film is called "The Refugee AllStars." What a story!

Universally Loved
Having never heard of the All Stars I attended a recent live performance upon recommendation. I looked them up prior and read about the story of how they came together. What an amazing story! I am a huge lover of African music and Reggae. However, i'm very particular about these genres. For reggae I am a strict lover of music with themes rooted in political angst, fights for freedom, and love for people, God, and country. The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars encompass all these things and I was blown away! So much angst and suffering by these musicians and many Africans in general have helped to produce this truly inspiring music. Many of these songs have small story like introductions. Considering the suffering these musicians endured this music really is a celebration and love of life. The rapper that you hear in many of the songs with a gutteral-like voice is only 15!! He sound is incredibly mature and astonishing. If you get the opportunity to see them, please do. Their energy and charisma is entrancing and involving. You'll love them if you have any love for world music, reggae, even hip hop. But truly, you will love them more if Africa is in your heart at all.