Sierra Leon's Refugee All Stars are taking their lush blend of roots reggae and West African pop on a summer/fall tour of North America, including a stop tonight at Washington D.C.'s ONE vote festival.
The Refugee All Stars are a group of musicians who survived one of Africa's worse human rights calamities, that of the civil war between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the militarized state government, a struggle over diamonds that left thousands of amputees and thousands more refugees.
The group formed in a refugee camp in Guinea after band leader Reuben M. Koroma began playing with Francis Langba and Abdul Rahim Kamara, two musicians Koroma had been acquainted with as fellow professionals in Freetown prior to their shared flight from that city.
Click for a more comprehensive rehash of their history together.
JUNE
15 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE AK
16 UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA-FAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS AK
17 OUTDOOR PARK TALKEETNA AK
19 NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT SEATTLE WA
20 THE NIGHTLIGHT LOUNGE BELLINGHAM WA
21 THE RIO THEATRE SANTA CRUZ CA
22 GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL SAN FRANCISCO CA
23 MEDOCINO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS BOONVILLE CA
24 HOLLYWOOD BOWL LOS ANGELES CA
25 BELLY UP TAVERN SOLANA BEACH CA
28 MORRISON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS BOISE ID
29 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES HAILEY ID
AUGUST
03 REGGAE ON THE RIVER PIERCY CA
04 ROBERT Z. HAWKINS AMPHITHEATER RENO NV
05 RED BUTTE GARDEN AMPHITHEATRE SALT LAKE CITY UT
08 CERVANTES MASTERPIECE BALLROOM DENVER CO
09 JAZZ ASPEN SNOWMASS SNOWMASS VILLAGE CO
11 CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! BROOKLYN NY
12 MUSIC HAVEN SCHENECTADY NY
14 WIGGINS PARK CAMDEN NJ
15 RAMS HEAD ANNAPOLIS MD
17 NIGHTFALL CONCERT SERIES CHATTANOOGA TN
18 ONE WORLD INNERNATIONAL MUSIC CELEBRATION HORSE SHOE NC
23 THE STRAND THEATRE ROCKLAND ME
26 VERMONT ROOTS REGGAE FESTIVAL COVENTRY VT
27 JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE JOHNSON VT
29 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR ST. PAUL MN
30 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR ST. PAUL MN
SEPTEMBER
01 ON THE WATERFRONT FESTIVAL ROCKFORD IL
03 AFRICAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS CHICAGO IL
04 ENGLERT CIVIC THEATER IOWA CITY IA
05 PABST THEATRE MILWAUKEE WI
07 ROOTS BLUES AND BBQ FESTIVAL COLUMBIA MO
08 BLACK SWAMP ARTS FESTIVAL BOWLING GREEN OH
