Emmanuel Jal (born 1980) is a South Sudanese recording artist, author, actor, and peace advocate. Born in southern Sudan during the civil war, he was recruited as a child soldier and later reached Kenya with the help of aid worker Emma McCune. His public work has since drawn on that experience to address the effects of war on children and to advocate for peace and reconciliation.
Jal records and performs across hip-hop, Afro-pop, and Afro-house. His official biography lists albums including Gua, Ceasefire, Warchild, See Me Mama, The Key, Naath, and Shangah. He has also acted in films including The Good Lie and Africa United. His memoir War Child recounts his childhood amid the Sudanese conflict and his path into music; it was published in the United States by St. Martin’s Griffin.
Alongside his artistic career, Jal founded the Gua Africa charity and has used speaking engagements and music to support education and peace-building work. He received the 2014 AUTHORRICHTOKEN0END and was a 2018 AUTHORRICHTOKEN1END laureate. His official site describes continuing work as a recording artist, DJ, speaker, and founder.
This profile is awaiting source review; collected books are already linked below.
