Singer Emmanuel Jal gives fans rare treat, ahead of anticipated new album

South Sudan artist Emmanuel Jal is not a new name in the entertainment industry. He has been making headlines for years especially with his background story highlighting his childhood experiences as former child soldier from South Sudan.

So basically he never really had a normal childhood experience, being one of over 10,000 child soldiers who fought for over a decade in the Sudan civil war. However his life story took a turn for the best after he rescued, brought to Kenya and luckily for him ended up traveling to Canada where he has been living since.

With his story, Emmanuel Jal has had great opportunities like performing at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Concert and the One Concert for his holiness, the Dalai Lama; a reminder that no situation in life is permanent.

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Well, after keeping his fans waiting for a while now – Emmanuel Jal’s team is happy to announce the release of his 7th studio album dubbed ‘Shangah’ on Friday 8th July 2022.

The new album is a 14 track mixture it Afrobeat musical influences that have increasingly cross r into the pop music sphere in recent years.

The album is a continuation of Jal’s mission to tell refugee stories, both his own and that of other refugees facing similar struggles upon arrival in new and challenging lands.

While primarily sung in English, songs also infuse elements of the Nuer and Dinka dialects that originate from the South Sudan region.

Speaking about the album, Jal shared;

Shangah means ‘I am or I have been.’ 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.

Included in the tracklist are recently shared singles “Hey Mama” and “Rakaboom,” which continue to gain massive airplay on Kenyan radio stations.