Refugee All Stars: Music Born of Strife

Published December 3, 2005 at 12:00 AM EST

Six men forced from their homes by violence in Sierra Leone have transformed their experience into a musical calling.

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."

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

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