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| Sierra Leone's Refugee All StarsLiving Like a Refugee2006 Anti- 
  Review by: GlassPipeMurder See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on October 24th 2006
In early summer 2002, a group of friends set out to make a documentary film about the role of music in refugee camps in West Africa. We didn’t know what to expect, but after a chance meeting with the Refugee All Stars, it was immediately clear to us that their story needed be told. Forced from their homes in Sierra Leone by a brutal civil war (1991-2002), the band came together in a refugee camp to play music as a way to understand the tragedy they had suffered, the injustice they had witnessed and to give hope to their fellow refugees.The above, written by Zach Niles, Banker White, and Chris Velan is found on the inside cover of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars’ Living Like a Refugee and provides perfect pretext for an album that can only hope to be described in words. The most impressive things an album can do is convey a feeling of place through words, rhythms, and melodies. The sounds of Operation Ivy’s “Energy” offer a perfect time capsule of East Bay, California in the late 1980s. Sick of It All will always invoke visions of a sweaty, cramped, NYC hardcore show. With Living Like a Refugee, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars transport the listener thousands of miles to the west coast of Africa in the midst of a time of urgency and crisis. Yet with each song that plays like a history of tragedy and suffering, there is passion and hope. Not only do the Refugee All Stars sing of a world outside their civil war, they truly believe it will come. Strolling easily between reggae rhythms and traditional West African styles, Living Like a Refugee is at once relaxing and inspiring. The laid-back reggae jam “Weapon of Conflict” provides the ingenious proverb, “When two elephants are fighting, the grass dem’ a-suffer,” expressing the plight of innocent civilians when two powers clash. The acoustic “Refugee Rolling” offers the blunt reality of being a refugee from a warring nation with the line, “Today you settle, tomorrow you pack! This is the work of a refugee.” Living Like a Refugee is more than just a good listen. It is entertaining, yes, but it’s also thought-provoking, uplifting, and inspiring. From a world of famine, poverty, and war comes a nearly perfect album. It’s an album that will never make it anywhere near the Billboard top 100, but is already a classic in this reviewer’s collection. People who liked this also liked:   ![The Cute Lepers - Terminal Boredom [7 inch]](/images/covers/thumb/steve_e_nix_and_the_cute_lepers-terminal_boredom.jpg)        Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
In the words of the Minutemen, punk is whatever we want it to be. The World MD at my college station was raving about this to me last week. I looked at the label and saw it was Anti-. That was enough convincing for me. Definatley a solid record, and quite an interesting story. i thought this was PUNKnews.org......amirite? Wait so like this features Wyclef and Lauren Hill and stuff? What's going on. More punk than any punk could ever wish to be? I am dying to hear this. Really interesting concept, and considering how good well-done west afican music can be, probably worth listening to. I'll check it out. had to do real homework and couldn't think a good line to go out on. sort of like peter griffin's "well...that's my momma" exit on family guy. i wish i would have come up with something more appropriate, but it's too late now. wow the review has me interested to hear this album I am so glad this got a review. Excellent music. Apparently Jones is on a sarcastic/sadistic rampage tonight (see other reviews). I can assure you though, that this band neither likes Sublime nor is like them in any way. Although they do say "na na na" a lot. this band, with the "OOOHHH ALLSTARS we like SUblime, da na na, na na na" punx? |
