Former Child Soldier, Peace Activist Emmanuel Jal Announces 'Shangah' Out July 8th

South Sudanese Canadian artist and peace activist, Emmanuel Jal announces the release of his 7th studio album, Shangah on July 8th via Gatwitch Records.

“Shangah means ‘I am or I have been’, explains Emmanuel. “The album reflects where I am, whilst recognizing where I have been. I want to create music which pays homage to my heritage whilst paving a positive way forward for my people.” Emmanuel Jal is an established South Sudanese-Canadian World Music/Hip-Hop artist and global peace ambassador. A former child soldier rescued by a British aid worker, he has gone on to share his story through music with the release of six studio albums that have included such notable features as Nelly Furtado, Nile Rodgers, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and Peter Gabriel.

Emmanuel has already shared two singles from Shangah - “Hey Mama” and “Rakaboom”.

Watch/Share: Emmanuel Hey Mama”

Sticking to his message of peace, love and unity, “Hey Mama” is an Afro pop record that pays homage to Jal’s motherland and its rich cultural diversity. Jal collaborates with Juba’s Check B, a young activist who was wounded as a child in the war and who also uses the arts to promote a positive future for young people.

Watch/Share: Eammanuel Jal “Rakaboom”

“Rakaboom” is a playful love song, which brings together influences from South Sudan and Kenya with the track sung in Emmanuel’s mother tongue Nuer, recorded in Nairobi and the visuals shot in Lamu, the oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa.

To echo the mix between the past and present Shangah draws on Emmanuel’s roots with traditional rhythms and dialects from South Sudan whilst crossing over to other popular sounds. With the release of Shangah Emmanuel continues to carve a way forward for a distinct ‘South Sudanese sound’ whilst balancing influences from Kenya and the East African region. In this vein, Jal brings out the unique flavours from his homeland, whilst making them accessible to wider audiences.