Emmanuel Jal: War Child, 3 Songs to Expand Your World

Earlier I wrote about wanting to see the movie on Emmanuel Jal called War Child. I did not know much about this singer but I was intrigued with his story. I have yet to see the movie, although I will buy it soon, but I did go to iTunes and buy the War Child album. I wasn't sure what to expect but I had read enough that I knew I should give it a shot (even though I have never owned a hip hop or rap album in my life!-Mike Peters singing "The Message" does not count!). I can't really judge the music, but I like the songs and hear a lot of different elements and styles in the music.



At first listen, I had my ears and heart open to whatever I heard. In particular I listened to the lyrics. I was blown away! These are songs that need to be heard. They are fresh, touching, horrific, humorous, and spot on. As I delved into the music with repeated listens I had a fear that possibly I might find the music tiring even though at first it was exhilerating. Fortunately I seem to like the music more as I go along. It has even stood my running test: I did a couple of hour runs with it in my iPod and it was good running music. Emmanuel Jal is a person worth listening to. War Child gives his view of the world. He has a lot of wisdom and insight and he deserves to be heard. Here is my take on the first three songs on "War Child".



The first song "War Child" lets you know exacly who the artist is. Emmanuel Jal is a child of Sudan who became a child soldier at the age of 8. "I’m a war child / I believe I’ve survived for a reason / To tell my story, to touch lives.” If that doesn't get your attention, I am not sure what could. A survivor like Emmanuel Jal must have a lot of things to say to this world and he does.

"EMMANUEL JAL admits that he had to tone down the lyrics on his autobiographical album Warchild. "If I told everything I've seen and done, the level of destruction would be too much, so I minimised the detail," says the former child soldier turned rapper. "I still get nightmares when I think about what happened to me. But I feel I have a duty to speak out. I want the world to hear my stories because it's reality."

The next song, a haunting tune called "Forced to Sin" tells of Emmanuel's survival "I lived with an AK-47/By my side/Slept with one eye open wide/Run/Duck/Play dead.” In order to survive he had to steal chickens and other animals for food from villages. He sings, "I knew it was rude, but we needed food." He watched his friends die. He was so hungry at one point he was tempted to try cannibalism. "But Jesus heard my cry as I was temped to eat the rotten flesh of my comrade He gave me comfort."

In relative terms, Jal was fortunate compared with most child soldiers. After fighting in two big battles in three years - armed with an AK-47 taller than himself - Jal and 400 other child soldiers deserted their posts in Ethiopia in an attempt to hike to freedom. They travelled for more than three months in the most trying conditions. Hundreds of the boys, including Jal’s best friend, starved to death. Others were ambushed by enemy forces, drowned or eaten by crocodiles. Many, remembers Jal, had to resort to cannibalism. By the time they made it to Watt in southern Sudan, there were only 16 of the original group left.“It is not something you forget,” Jal murmurs, pausing for a time. “There was a point where I almost ate my best friend because there was nothing at all for me to eat. It’s a hard feeling to describe.”

The third song is the simply beautiful reworking of Jimmy Cliff's "Many River to Cross". Gospel tinged and remembering the horrors of his past and the crossing of dangerous rivers. "They made me cross that river where the hippos and crocodiles lie in wait. They made me cross that river, Father give me strength, give me faith."

We know Emmanuel Jal has faced incredible hardships, but he looks away from a story of the Lost Boys of Sudan to the stories of children around the world." So many rivers to cross/So many standing on the right path that end up lost/ Like a boat sailing in the storm maybe its because from a young age/ Kids weren't shown right from wrong/ Blame it on society/ Blame it on the source/ of parents who marry but end up divorced/ Look, look at the life you're living kids/ Make sure you stay in school/ Get your grade with no time for giving in."

Emmanuel know troubles but he also knows the rewards of perservence in the face of difficulties. Then the song leads to a prayer. "Hush/ The Lord is my shepherd/ I shall not want/ He maketh me lie down in green pastures/ And He leadeth me besides still waters/ I pray to God to take my stress and turn my lessons into blessings/ and pray for guidance and direction/ When I'm lost I need correction/ Then I can't breathe because the fear inside of me is insecurity and negativity/ I deal with positive/ because I'm made in His image/ And I've got lots to give/ I know I'll make it through the storm/ and into victory/ Even though there's many rivers/ "

The prayer continues with a hope that Emmanuel continues to be blessed and is a blessing to others. "Bless the work of my hands/ Expand my territories/ That I might become a blessing to many/ Lord make me cross the rivers/ Like you did when you opened the Red Sea/ Lord make me cross the rivers/ Like when you turned molecules into food to eat/ The Lord is my shepherd/ I don't want to be selfish/ Just give me enough/ Enough that I shall not want/ And I'll give to others Amen/ Amen"

From a man who faced starvation, wanderings, andsith death all around him we can understand how Emmanuel would latch onto a God that could lead His people through rivers safely and feed thousands with the small basket of fish and bread. A God who is a Shepherd must be a powerful God to him.

That is only the first three songs on the album. I am still working through the lyrics as I cannot find them online so there may be some mistakes and immisions. But you get the point! There is much more to listen to and savor.

The Violet Burning: Divine -Free Christmas Album Download

If you go to The Violet Burning website you can download their Christmas album "Divine" for free. I have listened to it and I really enjoy their renditions of these 10 Christmas tunes: the little drummer boy, last christmas, star of wonder, blue christmas-sandy claws is back in town (featuring mike roe of the 77s/lost dogs),silent night, o come let us adore Him, christmas baby please come home, o holy night. I was unfamiliar with the band, although I have heard of them, but I enjoyed the download so much I think I will try out more of their music

Christmastime by Larry Norman

Here is an rather old, but favorite, Christmas song by Larry Norman. I have the original and rare "So Long Ago the Garden" lp. This is another version of the song but it still has the great intro and "the scream". Someone put pictures to the song to make this Youtube video.




Here is the Randy Stonehill version of the song (no video). Larry Norman and Randy Stonehill were two of my favorite artists from the 70's and on.



Larry Norman can be biting and insiteful in his music and this is a great and fun example. Whenever I think about Christmas music the first thing I think about is, "Santa Claus is coming and the kids are getting greedy..."

Christmastime

Santa Claus is coming and the kids are gettin' greedy
It's Christmas time
They know what's in the store 'cause they seen it on the TV
It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time
It used to be the birthday of the Man who saved our necks
It's Christmas time
Now it stands for Santa Claus they spell it with an X
It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time
Woah it's Christmas time
Oh woah oh baby
Oh woah oh woah it's Christmas time
Oh yeah baby
I said Yeah
Yeah
Yeah... You go into the forest and you cut down all the trees
It's Christmas time
I know you got a power saw but who plants the seeds?
It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time
I gotta buy a present can't remember who it's for
It's Christmas time
I 'll see you in a hour when I get back from the store
It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time

U2 Cover's Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas"

U2 has released a cover of Greg Lake's (ELP) 1975 tune "I Believe in Father Christmas" for their Project (Red)Wire. Here is a video.



It is definately a song about the commercialization of Christmas and people debate whether it is an anti-Jesus song (Is he a fairy tale like Santa Claus?) or a song that points to the "Israelite" as the real meaining of Christmas. Here are Greg Lake's lyrics.

"I Believe in Father Christmas"

They said there’ll be snow at Christmas
They said there’ll be peace on Earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the Virgin birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas Tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
‘Till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked to the sky with excited eyes
‘Till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there’ll be snow at Christmas
They said there’ll be peace on Earth
Hallelujah Noel be it Heaven or Hell
The Christmas you get you deserve.

La la la la la la la la la la….

The most interesting post I found on U2's song describes how Bono changed two or three words (change of tense) to make it more clearly a song of faith and grace.

Bono changes,

"They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
And they told me a fairy story
‘Till I believed in the Israelite"

to

"They sold me a Merry Christmas
They sold me a Silent Night
They sold me a fairy story
But I believe in the Israelite."

I also note that another familiar line from a U2 song "Mofo" from "Pop" also suggests all that is wrong with the commercialization of Christmas when Bono sings that he is, "Looking for the baby Jesus under the trash".

War Child Movie - Emmanuel Jal

The War Child Movie - www.warchildmovie.comHttp://www.warchildmovie.com

There is a new documentary out on rapper Emmanuel Jal called "War Child" that looks like something I would very much like to see. An album, also titled "War Child" will come out in the Spring. Emmanuel Jal is a former child soldier from southern Sudan. I don't know much about him except what I have read in some articles (see below) but I would like to hear his story of peace and healing. He escaped Sudan and became one of Sudan's Lost Boys and was then rescued by an British aid worker who tragically died in an automobile accident 8 months later. His friends collected money to keep him in boarding school. He has a an earlier album "Cease Fire" in different African languages.

My sister's family took in four of Sudan's Lost Boys a few years back and I find their stories compelling as well as the stories of Lost Boys like Lopez Lomong who ran the 1500 meters in the Seoul Olympics for the USA as well as carried the American flag in the opening ceremonies. Their stories are hard to believe and this story has a another horrific spin as Emmanuel was a child warrior before escaping Sudan. I am sure his story and life need to be listened to.


From the Washington Post:
Emmanuel Jal: A Child Of War, a Voice of Peace
A Sudanese 'Lost Boy' Hopes to Sing Away the Pain

From Newsweek:
From Sudan Child Soldier to Hip Hop Star


Here are some interesting quotes from and interview in "Church Times"

"Music itself is innocent; sound is innocent. God created music for us to worship him, and to enjoy. You have to ask, what are the words dedicated to?"

Most of my writing happens like this: the tune comes first, and the lyrics come later. Mostly it is inspired by horrific events, but I transform the energy into something positive. I’m a Christian and inspired by faith. I keep my faith to myself and get on with my work, but if people see how I live, they may look at my actions and decide for themselves.


"Being a Christian is the easiest thing: Jesus died for you. The worst part is when you try to be religious. That is when you mess things up."

"If you listen to my album you will be shocked: there’s a message there, and it’s a true story I am writing about. But there’s a song “The Shadow of Death”, which uses the Bible, “Though I walk through the shadow of death. . .”, that’s more encouraging.

I like the verse: “To all who receive him and believe in his name, he gave the right to become God’s children.” I think that’s John 1.12."

"I pray: “God give me strength, God give me wisdom. What do I say? What do I tell them?” When you’re a musician, you’re a leader. In a way, you’re a preacher. I don’t know about being a pastor. It has to come from your heart — it has to be a calling — to be a pastor. It’s a big responsibility.

How many years would I be locked in this church? If I was locked in a church with God, all I would need is a Bible, a piano, a couple of guitars. When you’ve got music and instruments, you’d not go crazy. When you sing, you’d not go crazy. When you got out, perhaps you’d be a supernatural person."

Here is a trailer for War Child (warning: scenes of war and death can be graphic)

Here is the video for the song "War Child"

"I believe I've survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives
I believe I've survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives
all the people struggling down there
storms only come for a while
then after a while they'll be gone
blessed, blessed

my father was working for the government as a police man
few years later a hardy joined a rebel movement that was formed to fight for freedom
I didnt understand the politics behind all this 'cause I was only a child
after a while I saw the tension rising high between the Christian and the Muslim regime
we lost our possesion
my mothers, my mothers mothers suffered depression
and because of this...I was forced to be a war child

I'm a war child
I'm a war child
I believe I've survived for a reason to tell my story to touch lives (touch lives, touch lives, touch lives, touch lives, touch lives, touch lives, touch lives)

I lost my father in this battle
my brothers
all my life I've been hiding in the jungle
the pain I'm cutting is too much to handle
whose there to please to light my candle"