Emmanuel Jal to be featured in concert/documentary film

Sudanese hip hop artist and former child soldier EMMANUEL JAL will be featured in the upcoming part-concert, part-documentary film, "Call and Response: Concert to End Slavery."

Filmed at New York's legendary Avatar Studios last May, Jal performs two songs with Moby and Five For Fighting - "Warchild," the title track from Jal's politically aware new album due out May 13, and "Wars," a song that Moby wrote especially for this film. "Wars" intertwines Jal's Moby-written lyrics with Jal freestyling lyrics from his own compelling composition, "Forced To Sin," one of the 13 tracks on "Warchild."

"Call and Response: Concert to End Slavery" also features performances by Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, Glen Phillips, Imogen Heap, Rocco Deluca, Cold War Kids, and Switch Foot. The live performances are interspersed with interviews with cultural, social and political leaders including Darryl Hannah, Ashley Judd, and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

"Call and Response: Concert to End Slavery" is expected to be released this summer.

Emmanuel Jal was born in Sudan, although he doesn't know when or exactly how old he is. For a seven-year period beginning when he was about six years old, he was taken from his home and taught the skills to be a child soldier, fighting for the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Sudan's civil war. He learned how to fire a machine gun before he could ride a bike, and lives with the nightmares of the unspeakable things he had to do.

When he was about 13, he, along with some 400 other "child soldiers," courageously deserted the rebel lines. Only sixteen made it to the relative freedom of a refugee camp. Jal was one of them. Music is what kept him going after returning to "the real world."

"Warchild," Jal's new album (due May 13 on Sonic360/Fontana), is like a diary of his extraordinary experiences. Mixing hip hop with world music rhythms, Jal tells his incredible story in songs like "Forced to Sin," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Baaki Wara," and the title track.

A feature documentary on Jal's experiences, also entitled "War Child," recently had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and has been confirmed to screen at other major film festivals. In addition, he is writing his autobiography for St. Martin's Press.

Over the past several years, artists such as Peter Gabriel, Bono, Moby and Sir Bob Geldof have supported Emmanuel's music as well as his Gua Africa foundation that helps educate former child soldiers."Warchild," the title track from Jal's upcoming album (due out May 13) is now available at iTunes and other online retail destinations.