Refugee All Stars: Music Born of Strife
Music from the All Stars
'Living Like a Refugee'
'Soda Soap'
'Mental Slavery'
Six men forced from their homes by violence in Sierra Leone have transformed their experience into a musical calling.
Members of the Refugee All Stars in performance. Sodasoap Productions hide caption
The Refugee All Stars are now the subject of a feature-length documentary that follows their performances in refugee camps, and their eventual return to war-ravaged Freetown. The documentary just won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles.
Scott Simon talks with the film's co-director, Zach Niles, and lead All Stars musician Reuben Koroma. A two-disc album tied to the documentary has been released: It bears a dedication to "all the innocent people living as refugees throughout the world and to all the organizations and individuals who work tirelessly on their behalf."