Emmanuel Jal

Emmanuel Jal

Rapper Emmanuel Jal was one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan," a child soldier who escaped his wartorn home country and became an international celebrity and activist.

Fast Facts

Born: 1980
Genres: Rap, Hip hop
Origin: Tonj, Sudan
Active: 2005-Present
Tells his story in the upcoming documentary, War Child
Resides in Kenya
Spokesman for: Make Poverty History, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and The Control Arms Campaign

Background

Jal was trained to fight in the Suadnese rebel militia the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) at the age of eight. After fighting in two civil wars Emmanuel and around 400 of his fellow child soldiers escaped the SPLA and survived in the bush for three months while on the move. Eventually 12 of the original 400 staggered into the town of Waat, Sudan. Jal was taken into the care of Emma McCune, a young Briton who worked for the Canadian aid group Street Kids International, and smuggled into the capital of Kenya - Nairobi.

Studio Albums

2005: Gua (Peace)
2006: Ceasefire
2008: Warchild

Categories

Entertainment | Music | Rap | Hip-Hop | Politics | Activists

| View Note History

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Emmanuel Jal Online
Official Site: War Child movie
MySpace: Emmanuel Jal
Wikipedia: Emmanuel Jal
Amazon.com: Ceasefire, Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim
Time Magazine: 10 Questions: Emmanuel Jal (2005)
Video: Emmanuel Jal, "Baakiwara" live (Time: 4:13)

Emmanuel Jal News

Official Site: Latest News
Google News: Emmanuel Jal
CNN: Ex-child soldier raps about hellish life (October 11, 2007)
Voice of America: Former Child Soldier Turned Rapper Works for Peace (October 10, 2007)
UN Dispatch: Public Service Announcement: Emmanuel Jal Concert (October 9, 2007)
AfricanPath.com: Emmanuel Jal’s Gua-Africa Charity Launches "Mixed-Jam" Night! (October 8, 2007)
AllAfrica.com: Africa: The Rise of African Hip Hop (October 1, 2007)
TheHoya.com: One Man's Story Is His Country's Tragedy (September 25, 2007)
UN World Food Programme: Refugee to rapper: an interview with Emanuel Jal (August 10, 2007)

Emmanuel Jal Background

Official Site: Bio
Oxfam International: Emmanuel Jal, Oxfam Ambassador
AllMusic.com: Emmanuel Jal biography
USAToday.com: Ex-child soldier now Kenya's hottest rapper (2005)
NPR: Rapper Emmanuel Jal's Trip to Peace (2005)
National Geographic Music: Emmanuel Jal profile
MTV Base Africa: Emmanuel Jal profile

Emmanuel Jal Music and MP3's

Emmanuel Jal Photos

Official Site: Photos
Google Images: Emmanuel Jal
Flickr: Emmanuel Jal tags

Emmanuel Jal Videos and Media

Official Site: Music Video Page
BBC: Documentary: Soldier Boy
YouTube: Emmanuel Jal sings Lennon's "Mother" (Time: 2:32)
YouTube: Emmanuel Jal, Gua Live (Time: 4:18)
YouTube: Emmanuel Jal on why he support Control Arms (Time: 2:14)
YouTube: Emmanuel Jal search

Emmanuel Jal Blogs and Reviews

Stereohyped: Former Child Soldier Uses His Music To Describe His Past (October 11, 2007)
Pitchfork Media: Review: Ceasefire, Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim
Google Blog Search: Emmanuel Jal

Related Pages on Mahalo

Lost Boys of Sudan | Darfur | Sudan People's Liberation Army