33 f “I


t’s a reflection about life, you know, when life is normal,” confirms Reuben. “I thought about the future and I just believe that Sierra Leone is a coun- try that has to do correction of many things. I know that our country is backward because of corruption, so I think that singing about corruption will help to get the peo- ple change. I also think that telling the people about getting united will also help. We sang about refugee issues in the begin- ning and [now] we really think about the world and we talk about current issues that are affecting the world.”


Although a distinctly Sierra Leonean take on roots reggae – called ‘bass gather’ locally – is still the band’s default setting, there’s a pleasing array of other styles, which Reuben explains is for several reasons: “Actually, we have been musicians for quite a long time and to be a musician in Africa, you have to be playing different styles. And the other thing is, when slavery was abol- ished, Freetown was chosen to be a place to return the slaves to… so all those people who were brought there, they brought their influences. So that’s why Sierra Leone has such a variety of cultures and traditions.”


This may help to explain, for example, why the local ‘Jolly music’ (typified by Tamagbondorsu) sounds not unlike Congolese soukous. But aside from the influences of these ‘recaptives’, this small West African nation has 14 indigenous ethnic groups. Bute Vange is based on an initiation ceremony practised by the Mende people from the country’s southern and eastern regions, while Oruwiebe/ Magazine Bobo draws on traditional kagbe (witch hunting) music of the Temne people of the north and west. And if Dunuya seems to have a Guinean feel, that’s because it’s in Mandingo, a language common to both countries.


“We want to talk about unity, and we also want to demon- strate that we have different ethnic groups, but we are still one people,” Reuben explains.


The inclusion of both ‘old school’ reggae stylings reminiscent of the likes of Burning Spear (Living Stone, Jah Mercy) and Black Nature’s more youth-orientated ragga chat (Gbrr Mani) is also about broadening the band’s appeal.


“We thought if we mixed the [older] generation type of music and my own, that would help also for the positive message to go directly to the younger generation,” observes Black Nature. On Gbrr Mani, he and Reuben share their views about the roots of the conflict in Sierra Leone. “It talks about trouble within the society and within the family… why it should set an example to the chil- dren,” continues Black Nature.


“And to buttress what he said, this is just trying to express about how people manage their family. If the father and the moth- er will discipline, I think the children will grow up to be disciplined too. But if the mother and father are not disciplined, then the chil- dren will go astray. And if the children go astray, trouble will spark,” adds Reuben, his voice dropping ominously.


“This is a reflection of what happened in our country, you know what I mean? Things were fine [but] the country is being exploited by just a few people… and then they left the majority of the children just following in the street. They don’t care… and it was those children who rose against them, burned their houses, amputated people, and then brought trouble! But if these people would have cared for the majority, trouble would never have bro- ken in our country.”


Given all this, and the continuing corruption and desperate poverty in Sierra Leone, is Reuben optimistic about its future? He pauses slightly before answering. “Yes, very optimistic, because I believe that Sierra Leoneans must have learned a big lesson. And I think there are great changes now. I think so because… everyone who make their riches there will have fear for the people, that ‘Oh, the people might rise tomorrow’. So they have limitation.”


As for the future of his band, does he envisage a day when they might just drop the word ‘refugee’ from their name? He admits it’s a possibility, but then again they have become known as they are around the world, and as Black Nature points out, the issue of refugees – which the band has done much to spotlight – is an ongoing global concern that’s hardly going to go away any time soon. And aside from teaching by example, Reuben has plans for a more direct way of furthering their aims.


“We want to open up a music school, because we want to transfer our knowledge to the young ones. We want to open up a place where we will be able to impart the knowledge that we have to the kids.”


www.sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com F


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