EMMANUEL JAL AND SISTER NYARUACH DROP NEW ALBUM NAATH

Emmanuel Jal: Juno nominated Musician, Actor, and Campaigner has released his sixth studio album Naath a stunning joint collaboration with his hugely talented sister, Nyaruach.

Naath is a vivacious, Afrobeat infused album with Emmanuel and Nyaruach drawing strongly on the unique sounds of their country; interweaving traditional folklore and love songs – alongside infectious dance tunes.

Naath is the ancient word for the land and language surrounding the glorious Kingdom of Kush. Carefully choosing this theme – Jal and Nyaruach’s music is often at odds with the image of war and poverty that has blighted South Sudan. Instead, both artists choose to reflect upon the resilience and rich culture of their identity through their vibrant tones and messaging.

“South Sudan is still suffering from years of war and oppression, we feel it is our cultural responsibility to bring out the music and voices from our country. As siblings we were forced apart in our childhood through extreme circumstances, so we are excited to be united on this project to bring the sounds of our village to the mainstream.”

From his start in life as a child soldier in the war-torn region of Southern Sudan in the early 1980s, Emmanuel Jal has come through huge personal struggles to become a successful and acclaimed recording artist and peace ambassador now living in Toronto, Canada.

Emmanuel’s sister Nyaruach was also born in South Sudan at a similar time and was separated from the rest of her immediate family, including Jal, at the age of 4. As years went on, the war intensified, she witnessed her family members killed and was raped by government officials. It wasn’t until 2004 that she was finally reunited with Jal in Nairobi. Unfortunately due to renewed violence in South Sudan and threats upon her life, Nyaruach has been forced to live in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya where she has an uncertain future.

Emmanuel and Nyaruach have recorded together on Emmanuel’s break out single Gua, which stands for “peace” in their native Nuer tongue which was broadcast by the BBC across Africa and became a hit in Kenya in 2005. The two have since performed together in Kenya for Oxfam and South Sudan for the first of its kind peace concert with Daryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels organised by Emmanuel’s non-profit organisation ‘We Want Peace.’

Despite immense obstacles, Emmanuel and Nyaruach have now finalised their first album together with the release of their first music video Ti-Chuong – shot on location in Kenya.  The track is an upbeat dance song, drawing on the unique and rarely heard sounds and traditional afrobeat from South Sudan. Emmanuel and Nyaruach are both keen to work with additional producers and DJs to remix and reinterpret the music to bring it to a larger audience.

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