Headlining Artists:

Formed in refugee camps in Guinea following the bloodshed and consequent flight in 1999 from Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars have quite the history. Reuben Koroma and Franco started playing music with each other in the Kalia Refugee Camp, their first camp since fleeing their hometown, to provide a distraction to other refugees in the camp. When the violence came too close, they moved to another refugee camp in the Guinean countryside, where a Canadian aid organization provided them with a sound system and some beat-up electric guitars. They added a few more musicians, as well as a rapper, Black Nature, who was himself an orphaned teenager. It was here where they also met an American documentary crew, who followed them for three years from camp to camp, resulting in a film and an accompanying album. Catch them on their extensive US tour this summer! For more information, see www.refugeeallstars.org.