THE sound of Afrobeat infused with hip hop is set to captivate audiences during a unique gig in Bethesda.

A talented brother and sister duo from south Sudan, Emmanuel Jal and Nyaruach are performing, with support from DJ Eddy Scissorhands, at 7.30pm, at Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda, on Friday, July 12.

Jal started life as a child soldier during the second Sudanese civil War.

He later joined a mass exodus of children to Ethiopia, and defected from the SPLA. The late aid worker Emma McCune helped smuggle him to Kenya where he attended an international school.

Whilst studying Jal raised money for children living in slums and became a prominent hip hop musician in Kenya, using music to bring opposing sides together.

Jal's activism and music led him to perform for Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. He has also performed alongside Lauren Hill, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel and Chic’s Nile Rodgers.

He was won the Dresden Peace Prize in 2014 and was recipient of the Desmond Tutu reconciliation award in 2017. Jal has also starred in two films Africa United (2010) and the The Good Lie (2014).

His take on hip hop incorporates Sudanese percussive instruments and Aftro beat samples to create an energetic backdrop to his lyrics.

Supporting Emmanuel Jal will be Abertystwyth-based Eddy Scissorhands. A versatile DJ that mixes funk and hip hop with his mixing dexterity. Eddy is set to keep the dancefloor grooving throughout the night.

Tickets are £12 and available from https://neuaddogwen.com/