Art by Ebony Bolt.
BHM: February 2020
In light of #blackhistorymonth, my February playlist pays tribute to amazing artists around the world, new and old, who have made some of the most incredible music, all with one thing in common: African roots. For this occasion, I chose to feature a talented force of nature from South Sudan, Emmanuel Jal . A former child soldier turned musician, Emmanuel has accumulated a laundry list of impressive achievements and accolades - from being a Juno Award winning musician collaborating with some of the most talented names in music today, to playing lead roles in award winning feature films, to being a peace ambassador and NPO founder whose work has been praised by the United Nations and earned him multiple peace prizes. By the way, did I mention his music is cool AF?! So cool in fact that he was invited to play at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday bash. His latest album, Naath, is a stunning collaboration with his sister, Nyaruach, which I guarantee is not like anything else you’ve ever heard before.