Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars celebrate their acclaimed Anti- debut Living Like A Refugee with an extensive run of U.S. tour dates, commencing June 8th and 9th with performances at Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Film Festival. The first in a number of festival appearances and headline dates planned this summer, SLRAS will canvas North America until September 8th.
The aforementioned film festival dates celebrate the group’s appearance in the widely- heralded, award-winning documentary film ‘Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars’. Tracing the troupe’s incredible three year journey, from its formation in a Guinean refugee camp – after fleeing their native Sierra Leone in West Africa during that country’s brutal ten year civil war – to recording in a proper studio, the Zach Niles/Banker White film will begin screening nationwide on PBS’ Independent Documentary Film Series, POV, June 26th. Netflix distribution of the critically praised film will follow in early August.
In related news, SLRAS will also appear alongside R.E.M., U2, Green Day and others on the upcoming double-disc benefit compilation of John Lennon songs. Collaborating with Aerosmith on “Give Peace A Chance,” Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur releases June 12th.
Diverse in age and character, from Reuben M. Koroma, the sage, 42-year old songwriter and guiding light of the group, to Black Nature, an orphaned teenage rapper, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have a common bond in the loss and displacement caused by their homeland’s civil war, and a shared belief in the transformative power of music. “As harrowing as these personal tales may be, the music buoying them is uplifting,” wrote New York Times critic Stephen Holden. “The cliché bears repeating: music heals and creates community.”
After leaping onto the world stage in 2006, SLRAS played high profile festivals including Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz Fest and New York’s Summerstage, as well as Fuji Rock in Japan. Completing two tours of North America and another through Europe, the band also found time to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show last December 8th, where they performed the title track from Living Like a Refugee.
Their music was featured in the film Blood Diamond featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have appeared onstage with friends Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, which spawned the “Give Peace A Chance” collaboration. And 2007 has already seen the band perform at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and wrap up a successful tour of Australia.
Here are the upcoming tour dates for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars:
6/8/2007
Jackson Hole Film Festival
Jackson Hole
WY
Evening with
6/9/2007
Jackson Hole Film Festival
Jackson Hole
WY
Evening with
6/10/2007
Detroit Festival of The Arts
Detroit
MI
Multi act event
6/15/2007
Juneteenth Celebration
at University of Alaska Anchorage – Wendy Williams Auditorium
Anchorage
AK
Multi act event
6/16/2007
Hering Auditorium
Fairbanks
AK
6/17/2007
Sheldon Community Arts Hangar
Talkeetna
AK
Multi act event
6/19/2007
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Benefit @ The Triple Door
Seattle
WA
Evening with
6/20/2007
Slum Doctor Programme Benefit @ The Nightlight
Bellingham
WA
Evening with
6/21/2007
Rio Theatre
Santa Cruz
CA
6/22/2007
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco
CA
6/23/2007
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
Boonville
CA
Multi act event
6/24/2007
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles
CA
DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Carlinhos Brown
6/25/2007
Belly Up
Solana Beach
CA
6/28/2007
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
Boise
ID
Evening with
6/29/2007
Summer Concert Series
Hailey
ID
Multi act event
7/1/2007
Festival Couleur Cafe
Brussels
BELGIUM
Multi act event
7/2/2007
Lux Theatre
Nijmegan
NETHERLANDS
7/4/2007
Musiques en Ete
Geneva
SWITZERLAND
7/6/02007
Jazz Cafe
London
ENGLAND
7/7/2007
T In The Park
Balado
SCOTLAND
Multi act event
7/8/2007
Oxegen Festival
Naas
IRELAND
Multi act event
7/27/2007
Stooras Festival
Trondheim
NORWAY
Multi act event
7/28/2007
Storsjö Yran
Östersund
SWEDEN
Multi act event
8/4/2007
Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater
Reno
NV
8/5/2007
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
Salt Lake City
UT
8/8/2007
Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Denver
CO
8/9/2007
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass Village
CO
Evening with
8/11/2007
Celebrate Brooklyn!
Brooklyn
NY
8/12/2007
Music Haven
Schenectady
NY
8/14/2007
Wiggins Park
Camden
NJ
Evening with
8/17/2007
Nightfall Concert Series
– Miller Plaza
Chattanooga
TN
8/18/2007
One World InnerNational Music Celebration
Horse Shoe
NC
Multi act event
8/26/2007
Vermont Roots Reggae Festival
Coventry
VT
Multi act event
8/29/2007
Minnesota State Fair
St. Paul
MN
Evening with
8/30/2007
Minnesota State Fair
St. Paul
MN
Evening with
9/1/2007
On The Waterfront Festival
Rockford
IL
Multi act event
9/3/2007
African Festival of the Arts
Chicago
IL
Multi act event
9/5/2007
Pabst Theater
Milwaukee
WI
9/6/2007
Lincoln Center
New York
NY
Save The Children
9/7/2007
Roots, Blues and BBQ Festival
Columbia
MO
Multi act event
9/8/2007
Black Swamp Arts Festival
Bowling Green
OH
Multi act event
