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DTSTART:20120525T200000
DTEND:20120525T200000
SUMMARY:Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
DESCRIPTION:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hypYAPpQA7Q">Sierra Leo
 ne's Refugee All Stars @ the Granad Theater</a>
\n
\nSitting in a dusty ref
 ugee camp in Guinea in 2004\, Reuben M. Koroma\, the founder of Sierra Leon
 e's Refugee All Stars\, could not have imagined what the near future would 
 hold for him and the members of his band. In just six years\, the group has
  gone from being unknown musicians languishing in various refugee camps to 
 being the subject of an acclaimed documentary film\, touring the world to s
 upport a critically revered album\, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show\, a
 nd sharing the stage and studio with Aerosmith and other international star
 s.
\n
\nThroughout the 1990s\, the West African country of Sierra Leone was
  wracked with a bloody\, horrifying war that forced millions to flee their 
 homes that forced millions to flee their homes. The musicians of Sierra Leo
 ne's Refugee All Stars are all originally from Freetown\, and they were for
 ced to leave the capital city at various times after violent rebel attacks.
  Eventually\, Reuben\, Grace and Franco ended up in the more stable Sembako
 unya Refugee Camp near the remote town of Dabola\, and there they put the c
 all out for musicians to audition to form a band. After a Canadian relief a
 gency donated two beat up electric guitars\, a single microphone and a meag
 er sound system\, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars were born.
\n
\nAfter re
 cording some songs and demos in Sierra Leone\, the group went to New Orlean
 s\, Louisiana to work on their album. The residents of New Orleans in turn 
 could relate both to the All Stars experience of being displaced from their
  homes and to the important role music plays in healing spiritual and emoti
 onal wounds and bringing communities together.
\nThe resulting album\, Rise
  & Shine\, is a masterful collection of songs that reflects how much Sierra
  Leone's Refugee All Stars have grown since their early days jamming around
  campfires in isolated refugee camps. The title of the album reflects the b
 and's desire to remain positive in the face of struggle\, always greeting a
  new day with a spirit of excitement over what the future holds.
\n
\n"It's
  been a long struggle out of the war\, out of miserable conditions\," notes
  Koroma\, "So now we are trying to develop ourselves as a band and be based
  in our country. We are really moving towards finding ways of elevating our
 selves somehow. But we do not just think about ourselves alone\, we try to 
 bring out sensitive issues that are affecting the world. It is all of our r
 esponsibility that the masses are suffering. We bring our positive messages
  into the world so we can expect a positive change in the world. And\, most
  importantly\, bring about peace."
CATEGORIES:Music,gazetteonline calendar
URL:http://events.hooplanow.com/event_recurrences/22732-sierra-leone-s-refu
 gee-all-stars-englert-theatre-iowa-city
CLASS:PRIVATE
CREATED:20120319T110520
LAST-MODIFIED:20120518T145506
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