Hey All,

Our summer tour kicks off tonight with a free performance at the Music in the Park concert series in San Jose!  We are very excited to get things rolling and hope you can come to check us out as we make our way across the country to your neck of the woods.

Tour dates listed below:





For more information about our summer tour and up coming performances click here.  

 

We are excited to announce that we will be playing the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this summer!  More info listed below:
....................

Fri Jul 3

New Orleans LA   

ESSENCE FESTIVAL

http://www.essencemusicfestival.com/

.. ..

link to tickets is: http://www.essencemusicfestival.com/?content=tickets

 

We are so happy to announce the release of 'Positive Revolution' - a collection of B-Sides and Rarities from the earliest recordings of  Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. Once available as part of the original double disc album these 'alternate' takes and original recordings were not released on  Living Like a Refugee and have now become collectors items. These rootsy tracks include someraw demos straight from the refugee camps (as featured in the documentary film) as well as some ripping plugged-in lo-fi studio versions that you've never heard! From the harmonizing crickets on the opening Weapon Conflict to the Freetown via Motown R&B vibe of Mental Slavery to the sax flavored highlife of  Kelemanghi,  Positive Revolution - The B-Sides covers all the varied flavors of  Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. As the band’s eldest member the wise Franco would say, 'it's with great gladiness'  that we are finally able to share these songs with all the friends and fans who make up the growing SLRAS family!
 Buy Positive Revolution Here!!!   - Thank You For All You Do - And Happy Holidays to you and yours! Peace - SLRAS

Greetings Friends!

We wanted to spread the word that Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars were honored with a nomination for "Best African Entertainer" for the 2007 International Reggae & World Music Awards(IRAWMA).

Help us tally up the votes for the "Best African Entertainer" award here:
http://martinsinterculture.com/ALL STARS VOTE
*** Just scroll to number 16 on the awards ballot and select "Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars!"
The deadline to cast your vote is April 20th. ***

The awards ceremony will be held at Harlem's Apollo Theater on Sunday, May 4th at 7 p.m. Eastern. In its 27th year, the objective of the IRAWMA's is to promote reggae and world beat music as an art form and honor entertainers and others associated with world music for their contributions to the industry and humanity internationally. Fans can purchase tickets for the event at ticketmaster.com or at the Apollo Theater box office: (212) 531-5305. The All Stars are honored to have been recognized in a category that also includes the likes of Angelique Kidjo, Lucky Dube and Femi Kuti.

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars currently do not have any immediate tour plans, but stay tuned to our myspace page or our website for any updates.

And don't forget to VOTE for the All Stars!!

Peace,
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars appear with special guest, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, on a cover version of U2’s "Seconds" for the compilation CD, "In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2" (Shout! Factory).


This new release will be available for PURCHASE in stores nationwide and ONLINE April 1st. The album features original interpretations of classic U2 songs by 12 artists, each representing a different region of Africa. Celebrating the music, culture and future of Africa, this compilation is an unprecedented musical homage to Bono and U2 for their ongoing humanitarian relief efforts aiding Africa.


A portion of the album’s proceeds will directly benefit The Global Fund, created to finance a turn-around in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Deluxe album packaging includes detailed information on the home countries of the artists, and information on nonprofit organizations that are making a difference.


Buy the album HERE!

Watch the "Africa Celebrates U2" promo video below:




For more information, please visit:

AFRICA CELEBRATES U2
http://www. africacelebratesu2. com

MySpace: AFRICA CELEBRATES U2
http://www. myspace. com/africacelebratesU2

AFRICA CELEBRATES U2 is available now at Amazon. com:
http://www. amazon. com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0013PVGL8/therosebudage-20

Track Listing:
1. Mysterious Ways - Angelique Kidjo
2. Bullet The Blue Sky - Vieux Farka Toure
3. Sunday Bloody Sunday - Ba Cissoko
4. Sometimes You Just Can’t Make It On Your Own - Vusi Mahlasela
5. Where The Streets Have No Name - Tony Allen
6. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - Cheikh Lo
7. One - Keziah Jones
8. With Or Without You - Les Nubians
9. Pride (In The Name Of Love) - Soweto Gospel Choir
10. Seconds - Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
11. Desire - African Underground All-Stars
12. Love Is Blindness - Waldemar Bastos

Help support this great cause!

Peace,
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

LISTEN to band leader Reuben Koroma and rapper Black Nature’s recent radio appearances on NPR’s "News and Notes" and "Weekend America" programs here:
NPR’s NEWS AND NOTES INTERVIEW

WEEKEND AMERICA INTERVIEW

If you don’t have a chance to dance at one of our remaining performances, make sure to check out our upcoming release and our latest radio apperances!

Peace,
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

The NORTH AMERICAN WINTER TOUR for Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars BEGINS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23RD! Check out our friends letter below to get up to date on all the details of band events throughout the tour, upcoming projects and new merch available for purchase!!
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Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are returning to North America from January 23 until March 7. As always, in addition to their high energy, "can't help but dance" shows, there is a lot going on with the band. Check out the band's February/ March 2008 DIRTY LINEN MAGAZINE COVER STORY. If you know of anyone else who would be interested in seeing the band on this tour, or if you oversee a website where this info is appropriate, please help spread the word!

The band kicks off this tour at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. Coincidentally, this is just a few miles from where another unique story about refugees has been unfolding. The Fugees soccer team, comprised of young refugees from around the world, will meet Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars on the eve of the tour start. The Fugees story is very moving and powerful and you can learn more about them here: Fugees Family Soccer Team . The All Stars will perform benefit concerts in Aspen, CO and Dallas, TX for the non-profit organization Schools for Salone. The fundraiser events will go toward funding the construction of a new school in a Sierra Leonean village the band has helped select. In Santa Cruz, CA the All Stars will take part in an event for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global leader in emergency relief, protection of human rights and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

As they've done on previous tours, the band will be sharing their message directly with students, at events with Aspen High School and for the World Music course at UC-Santa Barbara. Having only recently risen from refugee status themselves, all of this awareness raising is in addition to recent and ongoing work with Amnesty International, the United Nations' ninemillion.org campaign, the ONE campaign, Witness and numerous others in the U.S. and internationally, speaking out for peace and against the insanity of war while calling attention to issues in Africa and the plight of refugees throughout the world.

This tour, the All Stars will feature Reuben M. Koroma on lead vocals, Efuah Grace on vocals, Alhaji "Black Nature" Kamara contributing rap, vocals, and percussion, Ashade Pearce on lead guitar and vocals, Jahson Bull ..boards, Mohammed "Makengo" Kamara on vocals and percussion, Mustapha "Nico" Massaquoi on drums, Idrissa "Mallam" Bangura on bass guitar and Abdul Beal on rhythm guitar.

In recording news, the compilation CD, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, on which the All Stars performed with Aerosmith, has been honored with two Grammy nominations. SLRAS are also joined by Joe Perry on a cover version of U2's "Seconds" for the benefit compilation CD, In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, set for release April 1st, 2008 (SEE DETAILS ON CD HERE). The band also recorded two songs with a legendary member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the details of which will be announced soon.

On television, the newly launched National Geographic Music Channel will feature Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars in their programming beginning January 21 throughout Europe with US airing to be announced later. The band's documentary film aired on PBS nationwide on the Independent Documentary Film Series, Point of View (P.O.V.) and was officially released on DVD via Netflix and its distribution arm Red Envelope Entertainment this past year. Go to http://www.netflix.com to reserve the film, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars today!

You can help the band cover their extensive tour costs by buying a CD, DVD, T-Shirt or limited edition Tour Poster at one of their shows - OR - if you can't make it to a show, you can order Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars music and gear online here: ALL STARS MERCH PAGE . We are offering original art posters this time around as well as some new styles of shirts, including a baseball style shirt for men and women (all shirts are non-sweatshop brands, some organic).

For a complete list of All Stars tour dates and ticket information, check the band's website at http://www.sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com or their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/therefugeeallstars .

We hope you will be able to get out to support the group this winter. Tickets are on sale NOW for most dates!

Peace,

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Black Nature, the youngest member of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, is featured on an episode of MTVu's program "Cause Effect," airing this Wednesday, December 12th. "Cause Effect" profiles student activists who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to change the world in a positive way, those committed to real causes and making a real difference. While Nature and other band members once lived in a refugee camp as a result of Sierra Leone's brutal civil war, they have already begun helping others still in need through their work with the United Nations ninemillion.org campaign, Amnesty International, the ONE campaign, Witness and numerous others in the U.S. and internationally, speaking out for peace and against the insanity of war while calling attention to issues in Africa and the plight of refugees throughout the world. This "Cause Effect" episode focuses on Black Nature's work with the ninemillion.org campaign and can be seen on the MTVu channel or through the link below:
Black Nature "Cause Effect" feature >>

Greetings Fans!

Port Merch, the official online store for Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, would like to offer you a special discount on your next purchase! Prices have been lowered on many of the items in the store and for a limited time we are also offering:

5% off orders over $35 (coupon code SLRAS5)
10% off orders over $60 (coupon code SLRAS10)
15% off orders over $100 (coupon code SLRAS15)

The online store has lots of great shirts, caps, and the amazing Living Like a Refugee CD. Simply visit the store by clicking on the URL link below - Merch - Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Then on the page called "your shopping cart", look for the coupon code box near the bottom of the screen. Enter one of the coupon codes above, click submit, and your discount will be applied. The discount applies to the subtotal, not including shipping. The offer expires 12/31/07.

There's still time to order and ship for the holidays! Thank you for your support of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars and have a wonderful holiday season!