Reuben Koroma has known the depths of suffering and grief in Africa, yet his music has carried him from hopelessness to joy.
As a refugee from the killing fields of Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war, Koroma was among 2 million displaced people who witnessed a particularly brutal war. Throughout the 1990s, tens of thousands of Sierra Leoneans were killed or maimed as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel forces made a brutal bid for political power and control of the country’s diamond trade.
Yet in the midst of the horror, seeds were sown for an astounding breakthrough for Koroma and his music. In 1999 at Sembakounya Refugee Camp, deep in rural Guinea, Koroma reunited with Franco Langba and Arahim Kamara, fellow musicians he knew and had jammed with in Freetown. With a beat-up guitar and makeshift drums, the artists began playing music to lift the spirits of fellow refugees.
They were eventually joined by six others, creating a spirited blend of reggae, R&B, hip-hop and West African genres.
And they called themselves The Refugee All Stars.
American filmmakers Zach Niles and Banker White happened upon the Refugee All Stars in 2002 while traveling through Guinea, seeking to make a documentary on the devastation of the civil war. With financial help from some high profile celebrities, including Keith Richards and Bob Geldof, Niles and White followed the Refugee All Stars for three years as the band performed in refugee camps and wrestled with the prospect of returning home to Freetown.
By mid-2004 Koroma and the All Stars were back in Freetown recording their first album, “Living Like a Refugee.”
“The Refugee All Stars,” Niles and White’s compelling film was released in 2005 and won numerous awards while introducing the Refugee All Stars and their music to enthusiastic audiences. Koroma and his band have captivated crowds with the irrepressible joy and energy of their sound. The Refugee All Stars 26-city tour hits the Boulder Theater Tuesday, and includes December appearances in London and Paris.
All of the band members have faced horrific tragedies, and some had limbs cut off by the RUF rebels. The soft-spoken Koroma – who witnessed his mother and father being killed during the war – is amazed at the All Stars’ journey from jamming in isolated refugee camps to polished stage performances at international music festivals.
“My life was very bad a few years ago in the refugee camp,” Koroma said in a phone interview. “I was suffering in very bad conditions and I didn’t have something to hope for. But now things are really happening for the Refugee All Stars.”
From the 19-year-old rapper Black Nature to the gray-haired rasta Ashade Pearce, the Refugee All Stars have an eclectic sound reflecting diverse influences. Their album blends reggae and hip-hop with rhythms and tones that are more deeply African. While Koroma’s lyrics tell the story of the war and its aftermath, the music bears not a hint of sadness. It’s clear – as Koroma points out – that music is intended to heal.
The band’s performance at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas led to an on-the-spot negotiation for a major tour and promotion deal with the Rosebud Agency. With the tremendous buzz being generated by their concerts and the “Living Like a Refugee” CD, it seems the Refugee All Stars are on track to emulate the success of the Buena Vista Supper Club, the Cuban artists who sold millions of CDs worldwide after being propelled to fame by a film documentary by musician and impresario Ry Cooder.
Koroma recalls a peak experience in Niigata, Japan at the Fuji Rock Festival, where the band’s music appeared to break through cultural barriers.
“Before we played people were telling us that it’s difficult for Japanese to dance to music – they like listening but they don’t normally dance to international music. But when we come on stage we saw that more than 4,000 or 5,000 people were dancing,” Koroma said. “Everybody was dancing – it was like magic!”
Koroma is optimistic about the future of Sierra Leone as well as the impact the Refugee All Stars are making. He’s proud that the band is introducing indigenous West African rhythms to the world – and of their message.
“It’s because of the love of music that we get together and then despite all of the struggles, all the constraints we are facing, we still really have some happiness within our hearts.”
