Two members of the Refugee All Star band were horrifically maimed by rebels during the civil war in their home country of Sierra Leone but found sanctity and strength amongst the other band members they perform with. Abdul ‘Arahim’ Kamara had an arm amputated and Mohamed Bangura, who can’t work due to missing a hand, both find peace in being apart of the Refugee All Stars. Then there’s ‘Black Nature’, as I said before he is the youngest of the group, while performing his freestyle rappin’ for the cameras he brought a smile to my face as he displayed his artistic skills in French and English. ‘Black Nature’, who spoke of wanting to perform like Busta Rhymes, lost his father during the war as he was killed by rebels and felt like he wouldn’t remember his mother if he ever saw her again.
Franco, Reuben, Black Nature and Nico. (banker white)
Being refugees themselves, having to flee from Sierra Leone to the Sembakounya Refugee Camp in the Republic of Guinea, these people faced the same situations as those they perform for. The Refugee All Stars use their musical gifts as a way of taking the worries and problems out of the minds of their people, hopes of bringing faith and comfort back into their lives, this is the bands contribution to the people of Sierra Leone.
These beautiful men and woman have shown me that throughout all of their trials and tribulations as refugees they found peace and joy in music and in sharing this gift with their people they found happiness. My own appreciation of music should be broadened out to enjoy different cultures of sound and I will be looking for the Refugee All Stars debut album.
Visit the 'Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars' site here
