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Emmanuel Jal doesn't know when he was born; he doesn't know exactly how old he is. For a seven-year period beginning when he was about 6 years old, he was taught the skills to be a child soldier, fighting for the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Sudan's civil war. He learned how to fire a machine gun before he could ride a bike. When he was 13, he, along with some 400 other "child soldiers," courageously deserted the rebel lines. Sixteen made it to the relative freedom of a refugee camp. Jal was one of them.Music is what kept him going after returning to the "real world." Warchild is like a diary of his extraordinary experiences. Mixing rap with soul with a world music vibe, Jal tells his incredible story in songs like "Forced to Sin," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Baaki Wara," and the title track "Warchild." In "50 Cent," he calls out the rapper for not offering a more positive message to his young fans. The album was mixed and additionally produced by Grammy winner Neal Pogue (Outkast, Talib Kweli, Stevie Wonder, TLC). A feature documentary on Jal's experience, also entitled "War Child," recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and is currently making the rounds of the major film festivals. An autobiography published by St. Martin's Press is also near completion.Jal has performed alongside Razorlight, Supergrass and Faithless in Europe, toured the United States as part of the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival, performed at Bob Geldof's "Live 8" concert and with Moby and Five for Fighting in the 2007 live concert film, The Concert to End Slavery. He has garnered great press coverage including interviews with CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, BBC Asian Network, The Guardian and the Time online. His music can be heard alongside Coldplay, Gorillaz and Radiohead on the fundraising Help: A Day in the Life album. Syncs include three ER episodes and the feature film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio. He also appears on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur amongst the likes of U2, REM and Lenny Kravitz."I believe I've survived for a reason - to tell my story, to touch lives." - Emmanuel Jal
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I love Warchild. The music is great. It is rap with an island sound layered by history, teaching and feeling. His lyrics are moving.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Once in a while a global hip-hop artist comes to the forefront with a politically charged album that is both strong in mind and steeped in passion. Emmanuel Jal's "Warchild" is such an album.
Jal tells the story about his experiences as a former child soldier during the Sudanese war in his native Africa. As a child, he was forced to carry a machine gun, forced to kill and even some of his friends resorted to cannibalism.
Poverty was rampant and over 2 million innocent Southern Sudanese civilians were killed by the greed and ruthlessness of a corrupt Northern Sudanese government whose only concern was how much money they would receive for their oil. In turn, the oil money was invested in weapons. Sounds familiar?
Emmanuel Jal is a freedom rebel and a survivor. He was eventually smuggled into Kenya by a British aid worker (the latter suddenly died in a freak car accident). Jal ended up in the slums of Kenya and eventually got enrolled in a private school for privileged kids. Years later, he became interested in music and went on to become a rap star in Africa.
His torment is all the demons that run around his head. And the music that he makes on the new album is an outlet for his nightmare experiences in a country where no man is safe and everyone's out for himself. And who can blame them?
It's the music on Warchild that takes you by the throat and makes you want to do something with your life. Out of the bloodshed and madness comes a relief of sanity and light at the end of the tunnel.
"Forced to Sin" and "Vagina" are songs on the album that heighten Jal's awareness and sense of being. He paints pictures that are so vivid to the point where you can almost smell the bloodshed and the madness.
With songs produced by OutKast's Neil Pogue, the African rhythms and warfare rap workouts puts the music across a number of genres is it rap, world music, hip-hop and even pop.
On the track "50 Cent", Jail takes a pot-shot at the latest hip-hop designer icon and the world of video violence. Jal attacks the rapper for being an irresponsible role model for teenagers who get easily influenced.
The irony is that if you came from Sudan, chances are you never played a video game because you were probably too busy dodging the real bullets.
"Warchild" is a brave album. The passion and the calmness in Jal's voice contrasts genuinely against the tropical rhythms of the music. There's a tension that overtakes the album. Jal puts you in the firing line without the blindfold.
This rap is real.
Jal tells the story about his experiences as a former child soldier during the Sudanese war in his native Africa. As a child, he was forced to carry a machine gun, forced to kill and even some of his friends resorted to cannibalism.
Poverty was rampant and over 2 million innocent Southern Sudanese civilians were killed by the greed and ruthlessness of a corrupt Northern Sudanese government whose only concern was how much money they would receive for their oil. In turn, the oil money was invested in weapons. Sounds familiar?
Emmanuel Jal is a freedom rebel and a survivor. He was eventually smuggled into Kenya by a British aid worker (the latter suddenly died in a freak car accident). Jal ended up in the slums of Kenya and eventually got enrolled in a private school for privileged kids. Years later, he became interested in music and went on to become a rap star in Africa.
His torment is all the demons that run around his head. And the music that he makes on the new album is an outlet for his nightmare experiences in a country where no man is safe and everyone's out for himself. And who can blame them?
It's the music on Warchild that takes you by the throat and makes you want to do something with your life. Out of the bloodshed and madness comes a relief of sanity and light at the end of the tunnel.
"Forced to Sin" and "Vagina" are songs on the album that heighten Jal's awareness and sense of being. He paints pictures that are so vivid to the point where you can almost smell the bloodshed and the madness.
With songs produced by OutKast's Neil Pogue, the African rhythms and warfare rap workouts puts the music across a number of genres is it rap, world music, hip-hop and even pop.
On the track "50 Cent", Jail takes a pot-shot at the latest hip-hop designer icon and the world of video violence. Jal attacks the rapper for being an irresponsible role model for teenagers who get easily influenced.
The irony is that if you came from Sudan, chances are you never played a video game because you were probably too busy dodging the real bullets.
"Warchild" is a brave album. The passion and the calmness in Jal's voice contrasts genuinely against the tropical rhythms of the music. There's a tension that overtakes the album. Jal puts you in the firing line without the blindfold.
This rap is real.
Format:Audio CD
Fantastic album, love it! Really bored of the same lyrics the same old songs being remixed featuring crap upcoming R n' B artists. This is new fresh, a learning experience rather than the same 'im from the hood crap.' But it and enjoy. Lookout for shadow of death great tune.
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