Ceasefire by Sudanese artists Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim

Released October 2005 on Riverboat Records

This CD mixes traditional Sudanese rhythms and beats with raw hip hop lyrics.  Two musicians, one, Abdel Gadir Salim, from northern Sudan and one, Emannuel Jal, from southern Sudan collaborate on this wonderful addition to the African music scene.

Emmanuel Jal, who performs the majority of the rap lyrics on the CD emerges from his life as a child soldier with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in Sudan's civil war.  Jal eventually escaped Sudan's war and ended up in Nairobi, where he began his musical career.

Abdel Gadir Salim comes from a different background.  Salim has years of studying music at Sudan's Institute of Music & Drama, mastering northern Sudanese music.  His sound is a blend of the Arabic and African sounds of Sudan.

Both of these artists have brought their unique musical talents and merged them to create an album that blends the sounds Sudan is known for with politically charged rap lyrics that reflect the experiences of Sudanese impacted by the country's conflict.

The CD contains ten tracks.  Most, like "Elengwen", "Ya Salam", "Gua", and "Baai" call for peace and unity.  There is also the melodic love song "Lemon Bara" and the tribute to mothers "Asabi", which rounds out the CD's powerful tracks.

Ceasefire can be purchased at www.worldmusic.net