Living Like a Refugee

The Refugee All Stars of Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B000HDRARQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,230 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #67 in Music > World Music > Africa > General AAS
  • #69 in Music > World Music > Africa > General
  • #99 in Music > Dance & DJ > World Dance

Editorial Reviews

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant classic!!!, October 1, 2006

By 

Ben Jackson (Tampa Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Like a Refugee (Audio CD)

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!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living Like A Refugee, October 5, 2006

By 

Lawrence Niles - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living Like a Refugee (Audio CD)

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Universally Loved, December 5, 2006

By 

marichu_23 "marichu_23" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Like a Refugee (Audio CD)

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.