Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL
December 5, 2006
Sierra Leone has become one of Africa’s success stories. A fragile peace is currently maintaining after nearly two decades of civil war, and expatriates and families are returning to Freetown to experience the meaning behind its moniker. While peace is embryonic, human rights abuses have been substantially quelled, and art is propagating from the nation like the wringing of a wet sponge. One such example is the Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars, a septet of former refugees who met and developed their craft while escaping the civil war in the Kalia Refugee Camp in Guinea. A documentary was made of their trials and tribulations, which prompted global acclaim, a record deal with Anti and international touring.
After a screening of the gripping film, the septet emerged in
traditional garb for two hours of gorgeous, West African twang, from
light, jumpy reggae to melodic African blues, folk and indigenous
percussion music. Led by guitarist and arranger Rueben M. Koroma and vocalist and storyteller Francis Langba,
the Allstars translated tragedy into jubilance, as if their arduous
journey through civil war engendered a need to write, perform and
disseminate this hybrid slew of traditional Sierra Leonean melodies and
lyrics alongside contemporary reggae and dancehall. Songs like the
polemic “Monkey Walk,” the forcefully pensive “Living like a Refugee”
and the playfully arranged, unyieldingly didactic “Weapon Conflict”
illuminated the beauty of Sierra Leonean culture, and the tenacity of
its displaced persons to extract such warmth from the greed. Playing
well past the 11PM curfew, this West African collective exemplified why
their blend of activism has been so well received: Although these
musicians were forced to lead atrocious lives, their dedication to
making the most of a second chance proved inspiring.
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