Emmanuel Jal and Bun Xapa drop Afro-house joint Chaak

South Sudanese artist Emmanuel Jal and South African producer Bun Xapa have released a new collaborative single titled ‘Chaak’.

The new track, out now via Higher Ground, is available for streaming and download on major digital platforms.

Emmanuel Jal and Bun Xapa initially came together at The Alchemist, a creative hub and event space in Nairobi, while Bun was on tour in Kenya. The duo hit it off immediately and started exchanging ideas. Emmanuel handed over the initial demo of ‘Chaak’, which Bun then reworked with his signature powerful synths and irresistible rhythm.

On ‘Chaak’, Emmanuel Jal sings about manifestation and looks ahead to a time when his people can “bathe in milk” – an African expression meaning to be wealthy; not just financially but also physically and spiritually.

The track is a follow-up to Emmanuel Jal’s hit from last year, ‘Gorah’ – which has received over 75 million streams and peaked at No 1 on Beatport’s Afro House chart – whose underlying message was checking up on loved ones.

Born in Sudan during the civil war, Emmanuel Jal was forced to become a child soldier at the age of eight before a British aid worker smuggled him into a school in Kenya where he was exposed to hip hop.

His career took off when he released ‘Gua’ in 2025, which was featured by the New York Times and BBC. Since then, he has gone on to become an acclaimed recording artist and peace ambassador with seven studio albums – Gua (2004), Ceasefire (2005), War Child (2008), See Me Mama (2012), The Key(2014), Naath (2018) and Shangah (2022).

He has performed alongside leading global artists such as Lauryn Hill and Nile Rodgers. In 2008 a full-length documentary on his life, War child, with an autobiography by the same name, was released. His new book, My Life Is Art, is out now.

Bun Xapa, meanwhile, recently broke through into the Afro House scene with his song ‘Kibe’ in 2023, with support from artists like Black Coffee and RÜFÜS DU SOL.

In 2023, he was selected as 1001 Tracklists’ Top 101 Future of Dance 2024 list. He rounded out last year with a two-month tour including stops in Nairobi, Uzbekistan, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Dubai, and India.

The artist, who hails from the rural township of Thaba Nchu in the Free State province, was early this month named one of DJ Mag’s Artists to Watch in 2025.

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