Emmanuel Jal

Emmanuel Jal's Destiny - 14th Annual Francophonie en fete

South Sudanese-Canadian musician, actor, and political activist Emmanuel Jal was only eight years old when he was kidnapped. Trained through the abuse of his rebel captors, by the age of ten he was a killer. He was a Sudanese child soldier, one of tens of thousands of kids taken from their families. Emmanuel Jals first music video, released in 2005, was for Gua. The symbolism of unity is expressed in the title of the song, meaning both “good” in Nuer and “power” in Sudanese Arabic. The lyrics illustrate the desires of the Sudanese people to return to a peaceful, independent homeland. Gua topped the music charts in Kenya and was played by BBC across Africa. It was Jal’s breakthrough to the international market.

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