Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars performing on the Relix roof earlier this summer- click here for a look

Guitarist and songwriter Francis “Franco” Langba co-founded the Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars in an effort to raise the spirits of his likeminded displaced countrymen. The group came together in 2004 during Sierra Leone’s bloody civil war. Langba and the musicians founded the group in a refugee camp purely to aid their fellow dispossessed citizens. Eventually they recorded an album and their story is related in the 2005 documentary Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. This past March, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars recorded their second effort, Rise & Shine, which was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and the band embarked on a global tour in support of the release.

Today, the group’s Facebook page shared the news of Langba’s death. A statement on that page reflects, “Today we are mourning the passing of Francis John Langba (aka Franco). The father of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars – a musician, a comedian and a generous spirit full of love. May his musical soul rest in peace.”