Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
(Listen with Rhapsody)
I viewed a documentary tonight that absolutely blew me away.
I consider myself a pretty well-informed individual, I read the news daily and spend hours listening to new music. So how did I not know about this band and their story?
The plight of Sierra Leone’s refugees, displaced for years in the neighboring West African country of Guinea, was something I simply was not aware of. Nor was I aware of the group that rose from one of these refugee camps that calls themselves Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars.
The documentary by Zach Niles and Banker White has won numerous awards and was featured on PBS, and yet I have only seen it today on DVD.
I may be late, but I’m eternally thankful that this story caught up with me today.
First let me say that the music stands completely on it’s own without the heart-wrenching, inspiring and unbelievable back story. The band mixes traditional African music and a heavy dose of Bob Marley-inspired reggae. The group’s first CD Living Like a Refugee is a must-have for any world music or reggae fan.
However, after viewing the documentary you will not be the same. It shows in vivid detail, through horrific images and equally horrific stories by band members, the effect of the civil war in Sierra Leone, and the unimaginable hardships it has caused thousands of innocent civilians.
The filmmakers set out to find musicians among the refugee camps, and boy did they hit the jackpot. Every member of the band is a real refugee, many who show scars, or have missing limbs due to the violence they faced before escaping their home country. The film exposes the group’s hopes, fears and inspiring positive outlook in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
The documentary succeeds with flying colors on many levels. It shows why music is at its very root, a gift from the almighty. And how it can bring joy to those who desperately need it. But most dramatically, it exposes the dichotomy of humanity.
How can we be capable of so much cruelty and violence on one hand, and so much love, compassion and selflessness on the other?
The film will leave you stunned, the music will give you hope, and they will both leave you richer for the experience.
Be sure not to miss either.
