A powerful force of nature from South Sudan.
Sister of the internationally acclaimed hip hop artist, Emmanuel Jal, Nyaruach was born around 1983 in Southern Sudan, during the civil war. She lost her mother and was separated from the rest of her immediate family at the age of 4. There was little hope in her life until she reunited with Jal in 2004 in Nairobi. The two recorded a song together called Gua, which stands for “peace”. Unfortunately due to renewed violence in South Sudan and threats upon her life, Nyaruach was forced to return to live in Kakuma Refugee Camp until 2019. Emmanuel and Nyaruach finalised their first album together with the release of their single Ti-Chuong on World Refugee Day 2018. NAATH is a stunning joint collaboration with Emmanuel. Nyaruach went on tour in the UK and Europe with her brother Emmanuel Jal – appearing at Womad, Boomtown, Pohoda and others. She has appeared in media for the Daily Mirror UK, Global Voices and Conde Naste Traveller. She is currently seeking asylum in the UK.
Milli Chapanda is a British-based Zimbabwean cultural artist and traditional mbira player. Her music is nourished by traditional Shona ceremonials where this powerful spiritual and secular music brings people together in reflection, devotion, praise and celebration. Milli’s mission is to bring the lived experience of women in Zimbabwe onto the international world music stage through performance, and although her music goes deep into ancient cultural heritage, it’s clear that she is keen to sing out loud for change on gender issues and the barriers affecting women in the diaspora and in her home-country, and this gives her a real edge onstage. A Milli Chapanda performance is a celebration Shona-style, that calls on dancing ancestral spirits to rise through the trance of mbira’s cascading notes, to answer the call of the voice and the insistent pulse of deep ngoma drum and hosho shakers.
MUHA offers a new tradition in contemporary Eastern European music, influenced by the multicultural society in the UK, the band is a brilliant live act. Entertaining with their musicianship through a sound stemming from eastern roots and engaging audiences through a variety of languages and catchy grooves. Combining the melodic beauty of Eastern European folklore, North Indian Kathak rhythms, Cuban beats and original lyrics they mesmerise with a musical feast rooted in the Slavonic tradition but cultured from the world.
- Featured in
- Migration Matters
