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Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars celebrate their acclaimed Anti- debut Living Like A Refugee with an extensive run of U.S. tour dates, commencing June 8th and 9th with performances at Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Film Festival. The first in a number of festival appearances and headline dates planned this summer, SLRAS will canvas North America until September 8th.

The aforementioned film festival dates celebrate the group’s appearance in the widely- heralded, award-winning documentary film Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars’. Tracing the troupe’s incredible three year journey, from its formation in a Guinean refugee camp after fleeing their native Sierra Leone in West Africa during that country’s brutal ten year civil war to recording in a proper studio, the Zach Niles/Banker White film will begin screening nationwide on PBS’ Independent Documentary Film Series, POV, June 26th. Netflix distribution of the critically praised film will follow in early August.

In related news, SLRAS will also appear alongside R.E.M., U2, Green Day and others on the upcoming double-disc benefit compilation of John Lennon songs. Collaborating with Aerosmith on “Give Peace A Chance,” Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur releases June 12th.

Diverse in age and character, from Reuben M. Koroma, the sage, 42-year old songwriter and guiding light of the group, to Black Nature, an orphaned teenage rapper, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have a common bond in the loss and displacement caused by their homeland’s civil war, and a shared belief in the transformative power of music. “As harrowing as these personal tales may be, the music buoying them is uplifting,” wrote New York Times critic Stephen Holden. “The clich bears repeating: music heals and creates community.”

After leaping onto the world stage in 2006, SLRAS played high profile festivals including Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz Fest and New York’s Summerstage, as well as Fuji Rock in Japan. Completing two tours of North America and another through Europe, the band also found time to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show last December 8th, where they performed the title track from Living Like a Refugee.

Their music was featured in the film Blood Diamond featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have appeared onstage with friends Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, which spawned the “Give Peace A Chance” collaboration. And 2007 has already seen the band perform at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and wrap up a successful tour of Australia.

Here are the upcoming tour dates for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars:

Jun 8 2007 8:00P
Jackson Hole Film Festival Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jun 9 2007 8:00P
Jackson Hole Film Festival Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jun 10 2007 5:30P
Detroit Festival of the Arts Detroit, Michigan
Jun 15 2007 8:00P
Juneteenth Celebration – Univ. of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska
Jun 16 2007 8:00P
Hering Auditorium Fairbanks, Alaska
Jun 17 2007 8:00P
Sheldon Community Arts Hangar Talkeetna, Alabama
Jun 19 2007 7:00P
The Triple Door Seattle, Washington
Jun 20 2007 8:00P
The Nightlight Bellingham, Washington
Jun 21 2007 8:00P
Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, California
Jun 22 2007 9:00P
Great American Music Hall San Francisco, California
Jun 23 2007 4:00P
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival Boonville, California
Jun 24 2007 7:00P
Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, California
Jun 28 2007 8:00P
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts Boise, Idaho
Jun 29 2007 8:00P
Summer Concert Series Hailey, Idaho
Jul 1 2007 8:00P
Festival Couleur Cafe Brussels
Jul 4 2007 8:00P
Musiques en Ete Geneva
Jul 7 2007 4:00P
Oxegen Festival Naas
Jul 8 2007 4:00P
T In The Park Balado, Scotland
Jul 28 2007 11:00P
Storsjo Yran Ostersund
Aug 3 2007 4:00P
Reggae on the River Piercy, California
Aug 4 2007 8:00P
Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater Reno, Nevada
Aug 5 2007 7:00P
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre Salt Lake City, California
Aug 8 2007 10:00P
Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, Colorado
Aug 9 2007 8:00P
Jazz Aspen Snowmass Snowmass Village, Colorado
Aug 11 2007 8:00P
Celebrate Brooklyn Brooklyn, New York
Aug 12 2007 7:30P
Music Haven Schenectady, New York
Aug 14 2007 8:00P
Wiggins Park Haddonfield, New Jersey
Aug 16 2007 11:00P
Georgia Theater Athens, Georgia
Aug 17 2007 8:00P
Nightfall Concert Series Chattanooga, Tennessee
Aug 18 2007 8:00P
One World Inner National Music Celebration Horse Shoe, North Carolina
Aug 26 2007 8:00P
Vermont Roots Reggae Festival Coventry, Vermont
Aug 29 2007 8:00P
Minnesota State Fair St Paul, Minnesota
Aug 30 2007 8:00P
Minnesota State Fair St. Paul, Minnesota
Sep 1 2007 10:00P
On the Waterfront Festival Rockford, Illinois
Sep 3 2007 6:00P
African Festival of the Arts Chicago, Illinois
Sep 5 2007 9:00P
Pabst Theater Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sep 7 2007 8:00P
Roots, Blues and BBQ Festival Columbia, Missouri
Sep 8 2007 8:00P
Black Swamp Arts Festival Bowling Green, Ohio