I’ve always believed that Hip-hop at its best is, first, poetry; and, if explored in that context, it can hopefully be more easily accessible to those who profess, “I just don’t get it.”
Below is a video clip of Emmanuel Jal, former Sudanese child soldier, speaking and performing at a recent TED conference. It is a riveting testament to the horror and truth of war, the cross-cultural power of music, and the importance of education. Rescued by aid worker Emma McCune who smuggled him out of Southern Sudan into Kenya, Jal acknowledges her and closes with a loving and joyous tribute.
An extraordinary man’s amazing story.
Jal has since become an international hip-hop sensation and activist. His autobiography, War Child, A Child Soldier’s Story, has recently been published in Portugese and Italian.
To learn more about Emmanuel Jal, you can visit his website by clicking here; to learn more of his philanthropic efforts, you can visit his Gua Africa website by clicking here (you can also follow them on Twitter, @guaafrica )
Twitted by brandoneculture says:
August 13, 2009 at 4:47 am[...] This post was Twitted by brandoneculture [...]
Cross-Culture Tweets – Week 33 of 2009 says:
August 16, 2009 at 11:30 am[...] Emmanuel Jal’s riveting TED testament: war child, cross-cultural power of music RT @DoreenatDMS @brandoneculture [...]