Llangollen Fringe includes a European first for African artists

From his start in life as a child soldier in the war-torn region of Southern Sudan in the early 1980s, Emmanuel Jal has come through huge personal struggles to become a successful and acclaimed recording artist and peace ambassador.

His sister Nyaruach was also born in South Sudan at a similar time and was separated from the rest of her immediate family, including Jal, at the age of four. As years went on, and the war intensified, she witnessed her family members killed and was raped by government officials. It wasn't until 2004 that she was finally reunited with Jal in Nairobi and the pair will be performing what will be their first ever concert in Europe next Friday (July 26) night in the Town Hall.

Emmanuel Jal has collaborated and performed alongside artists such as Lauryn Hill, Peter Gabriel, Nelly Furtado, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Nile Rodgers and Alicia Keys and co-starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in the Warner Brothers motion picture, The Good Lie which tells the story about the journey of four young Sudanese refugees.

NAATH, Emmanuel’s sixth studio album, is a vivacious Afrobeat alongside infectious dance tunes. Jal and Nyaruach's music is often at odds with the image of war and poverty that has blighted South Sudan, with both artists choosing to reflect upon the resilience and rich culture of their identity through their vibrant tones and messaging.

The Fringe opened on Friday night with the Comedy Club Finale at the Town Hall and saw performances from multi-award winning comedian and actor Dave Johns, who is probably best known for his breakthrough performance in the critically acclaimed Ken Loach film 'I, Daniel Blake' with support provided from Simon Lomas and The Kagools.

Saturday (July 20) sees the first of several musical offerings with an afternoon showcasing the very best in acoustic music from across the region as 'A Gathering of Folk' take over for the second year running, while The Dub Pistols bring their riotous collision of drum & bass, hip-hop, ska, dub and punk to the Town Hall in the evening with support from returning local lad Jack Found.

Documentary film maker Bruce Parry, best known for his BBC series Tribe which saw him living with indigenous peoples around the world, will be holding a Q&A on Sunday, July 22, after a screening of his film 'Tawai' - his directorial debut in which he attempts to dive deeper into the heart of what he had learned on his many years travelling the world.

Guitarist and live performer Robyn Hitchcock brings his brand of quirky, funny, often surreal, literate songs like 'Man With The Light Bulb Head' and 'Mad Shelley’s Letterbox' to the fringe on Tuesday, July 23 while the following evening sees Welsh artist Lleuwen and her band give an unmissable performance of her most recent album - the powerful and moving 'Gwn Glan Beibl Budr'.

The fringe wouldn't be the fringe without the famous Llangollen railway involved in some way, and next Saturday (July 27) it's time to get onboard the 'Last Train to Skarrogsville' which encourages people 'move to the beat' with Skarrog being the destination and Ska/Reggae is the theme.

All events for the festival are individually ticketed and priced, with full programme details and further information available online