ZIMBABWE'S RISING AFRO HOUSE STAR UNITES WITH REVERED SOUTH SUDANESE ARTIST
OUT NOW VIA DIPLO’S HIGHER GROUND LABEL
Today, Diplo’s house and techno label Higher Ground further embraces the Afro house rhythms that are dominating dance floors around the globe with the release of Nitefreak and Emmanuel Jal’s “Gorah.” The track unites rising Zimbabwean star Nitefreak’s production with vocals from Emmanuel Jal, a South Sudanese artist, author, and former child soldier, who sings in Naath/Nuer, a language of the people of South Sudan and Western Ethiopia.
Gorah follows up Nitefreak’s previous release on Higher Ground, “Kamili,” with Francis Mercier, continuing Diplo’s mission to bring Afro-Centric rhythms to the global dance music community. With past releases including artists like DJEFF and Djibril Cissé, the label plans to continue supporting artists from the African diaspora into 2024. The track began with production from Nitefreak, who then shared the beat with Emmanuel Jal, an artist that he’s looked up to as a pioneer of the Afro house sound. Recorded in Kenya, Emmanuel’s lyrics deal with handling pressure, coping with ongoing global crises, and the importance of reaching out to support one another in challenging times.
"When I got sent the beat from Nitefreak and the Deep Root Records team, I listened to it over and over just to capture the emotions of the track. With the ongoing global crisis and how we get so busy and only worry about ourselves, I wanted to bring this to light. The lyrics pose to ask these questions regarding how life is treating you. How are you handling the current pressure? How are you coping? Questions to ask loved ones, friends, business colleagues, and people who we met in the past that we are in contact with. So it’s basically about reaching out to those loved ones and asking them how they are handling their daily lives."
— Emmanuel Jal
Bringing a truly fresh and unique approach, Nitefreak is at the forefront of the Afro house movement and the fastest-growing DJ/Producer coming out of Zimbabwe. He has received immense praise and support from Keinemusik, Gorgon City, Black Coffee, Pete Tong, and many other globally renowned acts. His musical journey began in 2009 as a self-taught DJ and producer, and he’s evolved and finely tuned his sound over the years. Part of the Deep Root Records family, he has collaborated with Francis Mercier, BLOND:ISH, and the three-time Grammy-nominated duo Amadou & Mariam remixing “Sete”, which currently has over 1 million streams.
"Gorah" has been a record in the making for almost a year and a half now. It was a composition of mine created a while back, and after showing it to the Deep Root team, we all agreed a vocal was needed to take this record to the next level. After a listening session with the guys, we immediately thought of Emmanuel Jal, as we were already working on other records together. This record he felt resonated with him the strongest, and after the first take we knew we had found our vocalist!
Due to Dipo's support in my career and Higher Ground's success with "Kamili", it just felt right to sign the record to them! This has for sure been one of the most requested songs of mine, for almost 6 months straight, and I’m happy we can finally release it this week! Excited for the world outside of just Afro House alone to hear "Gorah" and experience why it's so special."
— Nitefreak
Emmanuel Jal’s life started as a child soldier in Sudan until he was rescued by a British aid worker in Kenya, where he overcame a huge number of struggles to become an acclaimed recording artist and peace ambassador. Now based in Toronto, Emmanuel has released seven award-nominated studio albums and performed alongside Lauryn Hill, Nile Rodgers, Peter Gabriel, Nelly Furtado, and at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. He has been involved with a number of global charity organizations, including the British Council, the Child Soldiers Initiative, Amnesty International, and more. In 2008, a full-length documentary on his life, “Warchild”, was released, along with an autobiography of the same name.
On November 4, Nitefreak and Emmanuel Jal will perform together for the first time and headline the Dubai club FIVE’s flagship beach party, Bohemia.
Nitefreak Upcoming Tour Dates
November 4 – Bohemia Beach Dubai w/ Emmanuel Jal, Dubai, UAE
December 8 – Deep Root Records 9-Year Anniversary, Kings Hall, New York City, NY
December 9 – Lomas del Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
December 31 – We Belong Here, The DuPont Building, Miami, FL
February 23 – Sound Nightclub, Los Angeles, CA
February 24 – We Belong Here, Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami, FL
Emmanuel Jal Upcoming Tour Dates
November 4 – Bohemia Beach Dubai w/ Emmanuel Jal, Dubai, UAE
November 7 – Refugee Hub Conference, Lisbon, Portugal
November 29 – UN-Habitat & Alliance Francaise, Kenya
December 10 – Gondwana Showcase, Kenya
