Voice 1
Hello. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby Jones. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 2
This music is from the group, The Refugee All Stars. They are an unusual music group. As their name suggests, they were all once refugees. They fled their home country, Sierra Leone, in the late nineteen nineties. At that time, tragic war was killing many people. Rebel groups fought against government soldiers and peace–keeping forces. Terrible war crimes caused much suffering. Innocent people were tortured, killed! Many local people fled to the nearby country of Guinea – to escape the violence. It was in this situation that the Refugee All Stars came together! Today, they travel together performing their music. They have also recorded their own music album! Their music tells their story. It gives hope to the many other refugees around the world. We go back to the year two thousand to begin their story;
Voice 1
Singing comes from a small, wooden house in Sembakaunya refugee camp. A group of people sing, talk and play musical instruments. They laugh and smile as they play. The singer is Reuben Koroma. His brother, Franco, plays the guitar.
The two brothers loved music from a young age. In the refugee camp, this did not change. In fact their music became a powerful weapon against negative feelings. Reuben said later:
Voice 3
‘When we started playing music in the camp, we had something to do. It helped us to forget. And we found people gathered around us when we played our music.’
Voice 1
The brothers saw a great need in the camp, Franco said;
Voice 3
‘People here are struggling. There is nothing for people to do. I think we should be doing something to bring a bit of happiness to people.’
Voice 1
Other refugees in the camp listened to the brothers’ music. And it helped them forget their troubles – if only for a short while. Here in this camp, more people joined the All Stars. Let us meet some of the other members of the All Stars music group:
Voice 1
Grace is one of the singers. She sits outside on the white dusty floor. She is preparing food for the group. She cleans two small birds. Then she drops them into a tin of hot water. The tin rests on a fire burning over rocks on the dusty earth. The water begins to boil. She says;
Voice 3
‘I see the group as a family. We live together. We do things together. It is very important because one person alone would not be able to survive here. Maybe you do not have anything to eat, but the other person has something. You will be able to put it in the pot and cook it. Living like a family is very important.’
Voice 1
Next, meet Arahim. Arahim knew Reuben in Sierra Leone. When they met again in the camp, Arahim had only one arm. Rebels had cut off the other arm. Arahim says;
Voice 3
‘Because of the war, I am here today. My father and my mother are dead. But now I have my own family – a wife and children. When we came back to the camp I saw Reuben again. And I joined the group.
Voice 1
Next meet Mohammed. He holds his musical instrument, the harmonica, with one hand. Rebels cut off his other hand during the war. Mohammed says;
Voice 3
‘The rebels came in the early morning. I was not able to save my mother or my father. They took my child and told me to beat my child. I said I would not do it. They said if I did not do it, they would kill me. So I beat my child until the child was dead. And then, they cut off my hand.’
Voice 1
Mohammed stops speaking. These memories still cause him deep pain. Arahim continues Mohammed’s story for him. He points to Mohammed’s wounds, and tells of his friend’s suffering. Arahim then continues with his own thoughts;
Voice 3
‘Is it that God does not want me? But I know God loves me. If not, I should have been dead by now. Anything that happens to man is what was meant to be. And it is only a very small part of my body that they cut off. Even if I should meet the man who did this to me I would speak to him, forgive and forget.’
Voice 1
Mohammed remains silent. And his eyes look to the ground.
Voice 1
Rapping to the beat of the fast music is Black Nature. He is the youngest member of the All Stars. He was eleven years old when he first came to the camp. Music helps with his long healing process. He says;
Voice 3
‘When I was in my country, I was with my family and friends. In the camp, it was just my grandmother and me. She is an old woman. I was in deep shock over the things I saw. People were killed in front of me. My father was one of them. I saw houses burned down. I do not know where my mother is. I was in complete shock. Music is like healing for me.’
Voice 1
It was love for music that gave the All Stars courage to defeat their worst fear – returning to Sierra Leone. The UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, made them an offer that they could not refuse. The UNHCR offered to take the All Stars to a music studio in Freetown to record their songs! In 2002 they began recording their album; ‘Living Like a Refugee.’ The road to success had begun for the Refugee All Stars! And this was just the beginning! Since that time, The All Stars have also told their story through a film, made by producers Zach Niles and Banker White.
Voice 2
The war in Sierra Leone was officially declared finished in 2002. Since then, the people are re–building their country. The Refugee All Stars sing a message of peace – a message that can encourage all people who know the pain of Living as a refugee.
|