With their recent appearance at the United Nations, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars continue to rise like a phoenix out of the ashes of war and have inflamed the passions of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. The band is a potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere through unimaginable hardship and emerge with optimism intact.

On Saturday, Aug. 16 the band arrives in Maine to perform at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor.

Throughout the 1990s, the West African country of Sierra Leone was wracked with a bloody, horrifying war that forced millions to flee their homes. Most of those that left the country made their way into neighboring Guinea, some ending up in refugee camps and others struggling to fend for themselves in the capital city of Conakry. Ruben Koroma, and his wife, Grace, had left Sierra Leone in 1997 and found themselves in the Kalia refugee camp near the border with Sierra Leone.

When it became clear they would not be heading back to their homeland anytime soon, they joined up with guitarist Francis John Langba (aka Franco), and bassist Idrissa Bangura (aka Mallam), and other musicians in the camp whom they had known before the war, to entertain their fellow refugees. After a Canadian relief agency donated two beat up electric guitars, a single microphone and a meager sound system, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars were born.

American filmmakers Zach Niles and Banker White encountered the band in the Sembakounya Camp, and were so inspired by their story they ended up following them for three years as they moved from camp to camp, bringing much needed joy to fellow refugees with their heartfelt performances.

Eventually, the war in Sierra Leone came to an end, and the All Stars returned to Freetown. It was there in the tin-roofed shacks of Freetown’s ghettos that Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars recorded the tracks that ended up, along with unplugged recordings made in the refugee camps, being the basis for their debut album, “Living Like a Refugee,” which was released in 2006.

The movie, album, and eventual U.S. tours helped expand their following, and soon the band found itself playing in front of enraptured audiences of tens of thousands at New York’s Central Park SummerStage, Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival and the revered Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.

“It’s been a long struggle out of the war, out of miserable conditions,” noted Koroma. “We try to bring out sensitive issues that are affecting the world. It is all of our responsibility that the masses are suffering. We bring our positive messages into the world so we can expect a positive change in the world. And, most importantly, bring about peace.”

Tickets for the concert are currently on sale at the Opera House box office at 86 Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor or by calling 207-633-5159. The box office is open Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are also available online at www.boothbayoperahouse.com. Advance purchase tickets/$20 and $25/day of show if available. The historic upstairs bar opens at 6:30 p.m. for ticket holders. Doors for seating open at 7 p.m. and the rousing evening of music begins at 7:30 p.m.

For additional information on the group visit www.sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com.