Our Story

"I wish the world was a little bit fairer,

Time we start looking at the man in the mirror"
- We Want Peace Reloaded

The Key is not only an album, but it’s an act of cooperation between two prominent social change advocates who have a shared interest in highlighting and supporting children’s rights issues. At its core is a joint partnership between the album’s co-executive producer and noted entrepreneur Paul Lindley (Ella’s Kitchen) and Jal, who met by chance in South Africa, and who both not only wanted to shine a light on children’s rights throughout the album, but also outside of the recording booth through their offshoot social enterprise The Key is E which aims to raise funds to benefit African entrepreneurs with a youth focus. The ultimate goal? To land on music charts and into children’s hearts.


Our founders

Emmanuel Jal

Emmanuel was born in South Sudan and into the life of a child solider. Through unbelievable struggles, Emmanuel managed to survive and emerge as a world renown recording artist and award winning activist, achieving immense critical acclaim for his unique style of hip hop with its message of peace and reconciliation born out of his personal experiences. Amongst countless campaigns Emmanuel has worked closely with Amnesty International and founded his own movement, We Want Peace, recently awarded by the UN for its powerful humanitarian efforts, which has influenced over 1 million children with his call for peace.

Emmanuel’s 5th studio album, The Key, inspires and captures The Key is E’s vision of positive change.


Paul Lindley

Paul is British, was brought up in Zambia, and is the Founder and CEO of Ella’s Kitchen, a leading global brand of baby and children’s food. He has been recognised multiple times as one of Britain’s leading entrepreneurs and business leaders, with a reputation for focusing on profit AND purpose. Paul’s purpose and vision has been to improve children’s relationship with food so that they may have healthier eating habits and to help reverse the rise of the twin evils of obesity and hunger. He has led the Averting a Recipe for Disaster and Start Smart children’s food campaigns in the UK.

 

Supporters

  • "It’s been a pleasure and honor to record music with Emmanuel, an authentic artist who has a shared passion for investing in educational projects in Africa, and who also genuinely believes that music has the power to move both the body and the soul "
    Nelly Furtado
  • "We should all Excel in whatever we are capable of"
    Richard Branson
  • "The Key is Entertainment"
    Nile Rodgers
  • "We Want Peace And We Gonna Get It"
    Darryl “D.M.C” McDaniels
  • "The new generation’s Bob Marley."
    Peter Gabriel
  • "This Brother Is So Incredible."
    Alicia Keys

Latest tweet

  • "This song is not released yet. This song drive me crazy collabo with @princessnyadollar on stage performing it with… https://t.co/lZOtowav1W"
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