SOUNDTRACK: SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS-Tiny Desk Concert #118 (April 6, 2011).
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are famous for their story. Its members met in refugee camps during Sierra Leone’s civil war and formed a band to spread joy during an otherwise difficult time. But the band’s music is what has stood the test of time. Ten years, two albums and an award-winning documentary later, these eight men are still riding that upbeat reggae groove.
The band consists of three drummers (all with hand-held drums) and one percussionist. There’s 2 guitars (one electric and one acoustic) a bass and everybody sings. Their music has a reggae feel, although it’s not exactly reggae, I don’t think.
“Jah Come Down” opens the show. The acoustic guitar keeps the melody while the electric guitar plays a riff throughout. Occasionally the bass comes in with a cool line or two adding a nice low end.
“Living Stone” has a different singer (the percussionist). His vocals are a bit more mellow, as this song is. It’s amazing to see the age range of the players.
“Tamagbondorsu (The Rich Mock The Poor)” is the final song. It opens with a guitar lick that reminded me of Paul Simon’s Graceland until i re-thought and realized that Graceland sounded like this.
The songs are fun and lively, perfect for dancing (as the singer does during the long instrumental outro). Most reggae sounds the same to me, and these three songs do tend to blend together quite a lot. But the music is fun and the players’ skill is undeniable.
Here;s to ten more years.
[READ: December 4, 2015] Defiance
This book is set three years into the Nazi occupation of France. Things are sort of the same but worse for the residents of Vichy. Neighbors inform on neighbors, and some residents collaborate with the Germans (and are more successful because of it). And then in 1943, a new French-based Nazi police force called the Milice begin keeping watch over their own people
This aggressiveness causes more resistance, of course. And Paul has been drawing detailed and insulting pictures and posting them all over town (which is making the Milice quite upset).
Of course the kids are taking more aggressive stances now, too. Some say that the posters are causing more harm because it makes the police mad. But other kids’ parents have joined the police–some of whom are nice to the kids. Even Paul’s sister, Marie, believes what her teachers say about Marshall Philippe Pétain (there’s a lesson about Pétain at the end of the book) and his governance. And no one is going to say anything about the Resistance. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 