When Reuben Koroma and his wife Grace headed to Sierra Leone’s international airport building at Lungi in 1997, it wasn’t to fly anywhere, but to take shelter from the civil strife engulfing their country. They thought that with the army guarding the runways they’d be able to live there safely. But the airport was a prime target for the rebels, and one day a gun battle began.

“We were indoors when the government troops were shooting, bombing, trying to get the rebels out,” says Koroma, the founder and lead singer of the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, reached in Vermont. “Then officers came knocking for people, and all the men were arrested then and tortured, very badly. A commander said, ‘These guys are rebels—put them to sleep.’ Then one sergeant said, ‘No, these people are civilians—let them go.’ ”

The Koromas fled to neighbouring Guinea, and for years lived as refugees in camps. “It’s like being a prisoner, not allowed outside. I thought ‘It’s a good idea to play music, there’s nothing else to do.’ And I met one guy called Franco with an acoustic guitar. Soon other people came.”

Koroma and friends started playing around the camp’s poyo bars, where palm wine was the drink of choice, attracting large crowds. Soon the director realized that having the band play at regular camp meetings greatly increased the attendance. So he bought a generator, amplifier, mixer, two mikes, and two electric guitars.

Three North American filmmakers heard of the musicians and came to check them out. “They led us on a tour to other camps, and started taking our images, doing interviews. Then they helped us make our first album.” The acclaimed 2005 documentary Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars was followed a year later by the CD Living Like a Refugee. Around this time, the war ended and the musicians were able to go home at last.

The band plays percussion-based rhythms from Sierra Leone like gumbe, as well as pop-rock and reggae. “We have music similar to reggae called baskeda,” Koroma says. “Bob Marley is very popular, and his words inspire us. In the camps we are trying to survive. Our songs speak of the bitter experiences and constraints—we try to sing them out.”

Now touring constantly, the SLRAS have an international following, and their fourth album is currently being recorded in Vermont. “We want to go back to the rootsy, acoustic, ‘around the campfire’ sound on some tracks on the first album,” the bandleader explains. “It’s a bit of a family reunion with Chris Velan who helped produce it, and working here at our label Cumbancha’s studio. The Green Mountains remind us of the hills of Sierra Leone—except in winter!”