To our friend “Mallam Bongo” - An All Star bass man with a world class smile. You will be missed.”

On a very sad note, I wanted to let fans and friends of the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars know that on March 10th, Idrissa “Mallam Bongo” Bangura, the band’s long-time bass player, passed away.

For those of you who have not had the chance to see the All Stars play live, Mallam occupied a musical space all his own. With a permanent smile on his face, he would hold down the rhythm with his blistering bass lines, often flipping his instrument to play on his head without missing a beat.

An original member of the Emperors Dance Band in Freetown, Mallam and his band mates survived Sierra Leone’s brutal rebel war and reunited with the members of the Refugee All Stars to form the band’s current line-up. Together, they have gone on to tour internationally in support of their debut album and our documentary film that chronicles their amazing stories of survival.

Mallam’s departing comes a month before the band will be entering into the studio to record their second album. They will be touring again in the US this summer without their musical brother. He will be missed dearly by those who have been touched by his warmth, generosity and love for all people.