“It’s really about hanging out with people since I haven’t been around,” the reclusive-of-late songwriter said of his gigs at Icehouse has been spending a lot of time in England and trekked to Japan Yet somehow the only continent where Ondara played live gigs so far in 2024 was Australia Maybe just as weird: The ornately voiced folk strummer decided that Minneapolis in December was the right place and time to finally play four more concerts before year’s end “I didn’t want to do any more shows this year, but I did want to hang out with friends in Minneapolis,” Ondara, aka JS Ondara, explained of his December residency series at Icehouse, which begins Tuesday. “That’s really what this is: a hang.” The singer/songwriter who famously hung his hat in Minnesota out of love for Bob Dylan will be hooking up with some of his musician pals at the south Minneapolis supper club over four Tuesdays this month, including New Year’s Eve but not Christmas Eve. More often seen as a solo act onstage, Ondara has not performed with a backing band in his adopted hometown since he played the Current’s 14th birthday party at First Avenue in 2019. He wasn’t exactly sure who’s going to be in this group for the Icehouse gigs as of a week and a half ago. Nor was he sure which songs they would be performing. In fact, he admitted with a hint of proud recklessness, “I’m really kind of winging it.” “It was a last-minute decision to do this. The shows will all be pretty jammy — definitely a different type of vibe than my usual show, because I’ve mostly been playing solo, which I enjoy. I wanted a different experience, though. It’s really about jamming with some friends and hanging out with people since I haven’t been around a lot.”  Ondara was back in Minnesota but still wasn’t “around” when he talked about his residency in a video call before Thanksgiving He had holed up in a cottage in the historic riverside town of Marine on St Croix to flesh out songs for his next album Ondara’s last LP, 2022′s “The Spanish Villager, No. 3,” was a left-curve concept album based on a graphic-novel character whom he dreamt up and even planned to perform as in concert 1: Tales of Isolation,” the 32-year-old strummer has yet to reignite the career buzz generated by his 2019 debut for Verve Records “Tales of America,” which earned a Grammy nomination for best Americana album and saw him tour as an opening act for Lindsey Buckingham and the Lumineers the main reason Ondara kept such a low profile this year was “to try to figure out what this next record is going to be.” “This record has been so elusive to me,” he said “I’ve been traveling so much because I’ve been on some kind of a spiritual journey to figure out what it is If I wanted to just make another record similar to what I’d been doing But I felt a little lost and didn’t know what to make next.” The fact that he has settled back in Minnesota is a good sign “I’ve just very recently figured out what the record is He did not want to say too much else about the album except to call it “a different paradigm.” One detail he did let slip out: He plans to return to Kenya to record some of it he said he probably will not record any songs from it at these Icehouse gigs because “they have to be constructed differently.” “As opposed to previously just writing the songs on guitar and then walking into the studio with a band and getting the take live,” he explained “these songs involve more construction and layers and are going to take more time So I won’t be able to deliver them in their most authentic forms in the configuration at Icehouse have other new songs to perform at Icehouse that are not slated for the pending album starting with Jeremy Ylvisaker and JT Bates Tuesday These will be Ondara’s first performances since his Australian tour with that country’s homegrown alt-twang star Kasey Chambers in March “I did make a conscious decision to just kind of pull away” from playing live “I just didn’t feel like I could continue what I was doing until I knew what I wanted to do next.” Tickets: $25-$32, icehousempls.com. Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas. Things To Do Critics’ picks for entertainment in the week ahead She was as alluringly confessional as Joni Mitchell but not as musically intriguing Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera plays at the Ordway Music Theater in St models and artists gathered for “InThread” and “Archi-Arts,” two student-run showcases that blurred the line between fashion and visual art “Perforations,” explored transformation — through cut fabric layered textures and fragmented materials.   Wiess College senior Annie McKenzie said attending Archi-Arts for the first time was eye-opening.   “I was impressed by the variety,” McKenzie said charcoal drawings — even a quilt that used technology to print images and text — it was stunning.”   The theme carried into the InThread runway show “You could see it in the way fabrics were layered and reconstructed,” McKenzie said “It mirrored the way different art mediums came together in the gallery.”   said modeling for the first time was a leap into the unknown.   “Seeing how much effort went into every detail — the designs the coordination — was incredible.”   whose work embodied the show’s theme.   then cut and restructured them,” said Ondara “One piece was a conjoined dress and sweater — two models walked the runway connected at the sleeves His standout design reflected the core of the theme — movement fragmentation and reinterpretation of material “I don’t like to assign meaning to my work,” Ondara said “I think people should interpret it in their own way But I love when people come up to me and ask ‘How did you make that?’ That’s the best part — seeing how people engage with it.”   the way the models moved — it wasn’t just a runway “Even the smallest details felt intentional.”   That sense of cohesion extended beyond just the layout who designed jewelry that was featured in both InThread and Archi-Arts reinforcing the interplay between fashion and visual art “I wanted my jewelry to respond to the clothing around it,” said Lam The show let me highlight how jewelry interacts with the body while the gallery let people engage with it as standalone art.”   McKenzie said Anderson Hall’s layout contributed to the experience.   “Having the art on the second floor and the fashion show on the first created a sense of connection while still keeping them distinct,” McKenzie said “The different walkways let you see how everything fits together from multiple perspectives.”   It was founded last year to provide Rice’s fashion community with a dedicated platform for artistic expression.   “There wasn’t a space for student designers before this,” Lam said but nothing dedicated to fashion as an artistic practice.”   the showcase represents a growing demand for spaces where art and design intersect.   “There’s so much creative talent at Rice that doesn’t always get recognized,” Ondara said “Events like this prove there’s real interest in fashion design and wearable art — it’s just about creating spaces for it.”   McKenzie said she sees Archi-Arts as vital to Rice’s creative culture.   “Events like this show students that there are creative outlets beyond formal art classes,” McKenzie said “They build community and foster a more interdisciplinary education.”   McKenzie said she will not be around for the next Archi-Arts she hopes to see more languages incorporated into the exhibition’s labels and programs to reflect Rice’s international student body “There were a lot of international artists,” McKenzie said “It would be great to see that represented more visibly.”   stepping onto the runway for the first time wasn’t just about fashion — it was about pushing herself.   Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher A Talitha Cumi School of Artist Production will witness a unique experience with the premiere of CARLO ACUTIS – Highway to Heaven by the students of the Performing Arts Degree at the Talitha Cumi School of Artist pays tribute to the life and legacy of Blessed Carlo Acutis left an indelible mark on the hearts of young Christians around the world Inspired by the story of this young man passionate about technology and devotion to the Eucharist the musical promises to captivate all attendees taking the audience on an emotional journey through the values ​​that defined Carlo: faith The play reflects his ability to find in everyday life a vehicle to get closer to God showing that holiness is not only for a few but is within everyone’s reach The anticipation for this event has been so great that the 7:30 p.m a second session has been added at 5:00 p.m. ensuring that more people can enjoy this very special musical the music and the message of hope conveyed by the story of Carlo Acutis will not leave anyone indifferent and it is a unique opportunity to live a theatrical experience full of emotion and reflection but also a manifestation of the effort and talent of the students of Talitha Cumi School of Artist Each of them has worked tirelessly to bring this project to life in which training in the performing arts is combined with the transmission of deep Christian values The young artists have worked under the direction of a committed team that has guided the students to create a work that The premiere of CARLO ACUTIS – Highway to Heaven is an opportunity to enjoy a vibrant production It will be an occasion to learn more about the life of Carlo Acutis and to reflect on how his example can inspire us in our daily lives and tickets are available for those who wish to enjoy this unique event Interviews conducted by Welcome DTV Reflection by Bishop Enrique Díaz: I will praise you Paris Marks 400th Anniversary of the Congregation of the Mission Reflection by Bishop Enrique Díaz: The Lord’s mercy is eternal Tweets by Pontifex Country Universe’s Kevin John Coyne spoke to Kasey Chambers in September about her new album Backbone Just Don’t Be a Dickhead: And other profound things I learnt The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity You can read Jonathan Keefe’s bullet review of the album here Kevin John Coyne: This is your first album in six years It’s a powerful collection with themes like how relationships change over time and on trying to anchor yourself with your values in a changing world without losing your optimism and hope while you navigate painful experiences I drew a lot of strength from listening to it and I’m excited to talk about some of the songs Kasey Chambers: It’s filling my heart because you put your creativity into this stuff and you don’t ever know if it’s going to translate but it’s really hard to know whether it’s going to translate to other people And that’s just left in the hands of the Music Connection gods So it’s really beautiful when it does connect to somebody even if it’s one person or 10 people I think I have faith that it will connect to the right people Kevin John Coyne: For an album that’s so grounded in where you’re from there are so many signs of how music travels I love your cover of “Lose Yourself,” and how you find a connection from your story to Eminem from Detroit with a song that’s about a very specific place that he’s still anchored to as home And then you have Ondara from Kenya on this album which brings another entirely different region of the world into it Kasey Chambers: You just gave me goosebumps when you made the Eminem and Ondara connection I personally believe that it has more to do with the amount that I am connected to what I’m doing I don’t know if it’s so much that people are connecting to what I’m connecting to so much as just people are connecting to my connection Kevin John Coyne: I will tell you that one song I keep going back to is “Arlo.”  my how you’ve grown” left me crying on the train I feel like that song is everything I’d want my mom to be feeling about me in her heart as well even if we’re going in different directions Maybe you don’t understand every choice that I’ve made but the love is there Kasey Chambers: What’s really special about it is that you are giving me You’re relating yourself to Arlo in this and that is totally different for me I wrote the song for Arlo’s birthday and it was his birthday going from from 12 to 13 and the next day he’s this cool teenager that doesn’t need me anymore that you just even said that different perspective to think of that song from Arlo’s point of view but it ended up very clear as I started writing it I realized it was a song for me and a song for every mama who has to let her child grow up I’ve got all that about to happen with my daughter as well So there’s probably another song coming soon I’m tearing my hair out”  kind of thing and it’s one that is really personal like when he found the little bird wounded in the backyard And so it’s very specific to my story and my relationship with my son I didn’t know if people were going to relate to it I think that really epitomizes that it’s not really up to me what your interpretation of the song is as long as I connect to it in my own way that’s really true and authentic I think that’s going to be enough to carry it to the person who needs to who needs to connect So even though I might write a song about living in the outback of Australia and that is so far away from what someone who reads your article about me who might live a completely different life But I don’t really think that any of us have to live through the same things That is such a beautiful thing about music and that’s just this gift that we all have with music but we all have this beautiful gift to be able to connect with somebody from the other side of the world Even going back a step where you mentioned Eminem and Ondara musicians that have lived completely different lives Eminem doesn’t know he has a connection with me yet There’s a little story in there about how you can find a family anywhere in all these unlikely places That family is not just about being blood related to somebody That you can connect with people from completely different walks of life and you can learn something from each other I think I first started realizing that when I started traveling to America Because even though I had grown up on American country music or anyone would be remotely interested in my music in America Because I was just this kid from the Nullarbor who is influenced by American music and I’m just stealing all the things that I learned from listening to their music but I’m writing about the Nullarbor and all these experiences I’ve been through How could anyone over the other side of the world possibly ever relate to that or even be remotely interested when I started traveling there and realizing that it doesn’t matter if we’ve had the same life It doesn’t matter if you even want the same life You can still connect in so many different ways “You are Everything to Me.” I can really hear the Emmylou Harris influence on that I connected that to how Emmylou navigated the stage of her career that you’re in now “Red Dirt Girl,” especially,” which is specific to one part of Alabama and to the 1970s and the Vietnam Era but it totally resonated with me as a New Yorker She was probably thinking the same thing as you – “How could this possibly travel to the other side of the world Kasey Chambers: It’s just a really beautiful thing especially if you allow yourself to kind of open up to that There’s a lot in my book where I talk about leading with an open heart I’ve learned that so many beautiful things happen when I just lead with an open heart and let things happen and then you never know where that song is going to connect with somebody Kevin John Coyne: When I listened to the album for the first time “A New Day Has Come” is such an evocative opening track It’s not quite what I expected to first start the album It took me a while to realize what it was reminding me of: Dolly Parton’s New Harvest…First Gathering opening with “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” This was your first album post-pandemic and the song has this feeling of “We’re ready and we’re going to move forward.” It’s almost like a palette cleanser for me Kasey Chambers: This song epitomizes the pandemic for me and it’s why I wanted to open the album with this I actually had a few arguments with people saying “You can’t open your album with this It’s a five and a half minute song”  “I’m not budging.” This song sets up this album and how I feel I don’t care if people skip it even because it’s too long The note of intention of my book is based around that song And what I’ve done in the book is we’ve got QR codes throughout the book you can go straight to the song and listen to the song that relates to that story so that you can kind of hear the soundtrack to the story you just read So the opening one is the first track that you go listen to Kevin John Coyne: I can’t imagine anything else opening the album I was just thinking about the title track – “Backbone (The Devil’s Child).” It works better as a second track after that opening You’ve been so raw and vulnerable and open with your autobiography on record I love hearing even some of things that you’ve reflected on before I love hearing how with time and you get to new stages of your life I shouldn’t see those things the same now at 48 that I saw them as when they happened I love that I will see them differently again in 10 years and I talk about it in my book quite a bit where I don’t even have beliefs that I want to stick to for the rest of my life if things come in and they don’t resonate with me anymore So now I have to believe this for the rest of my life And I told my kids that this is the way it is then I’m just going to see what else is out there And I kind of love that it’s so exciting Kevin John Coyne: I can hear that in your music I think one really cool thing about your catalog is that what you really can’t do with your albums very easily is just take one song off of it and drop it into another album So it’s really interesting you say that because I think of this latest album as my life soundtrack I think you could take “Backbone” and just drop that on The Captain album But because that was my first album after living on the Nullarbor I couldn’t have written that song then It’s really funny because I was going to say with this album so many of the songs relate to little chapters of the book I feel like you’re actually hearing a lot of it anyway without even reading the book I love that it’s there in the sound and the emotion anyway Kevin John Coyne: I’m going to approach the book like the director’s commentary because I’m hearing the album first and the book will give me more insight Kasey Chambers: I’m actually going to steal what you said and that is how I’m going to describe it It feels like it might be the Director’s Cut and all the commentary behind it of how we put the movie together Kevin John Coyne: So my colleague Jonathan Keefe saw the credits for the album and goes The song’s called “The Divorce Song.” And she recorded it with Shane Nicholson But death didn’t come quick enough.” How has nobody ever said that before that song is way more special to me than I thought it was going to be maybe it’s a bit about divorce and stuff like that and it might be this kind of vibe or whatever And me and Shane have not written a song since we were married so we have not written a song together since we got divorced like sometimes we sing “Rattling Bones” or something live We haven’t written a song or anything like that And it was really just a little conversation and it was the last song I wrote for the record So it was only about a week before we went in the studio that we finished it I do not think we would be getting along so great if we sat down in a room and tried to be creative together.” As much as I know there’s this comical element of the song I also feel like it is just really heartfelt Because it really does sum up our relationship we’ve been through a lot together and then apart and we’re co-parenting and all of that and we’ve now come out the other side and into a really good place I’m not saying everything’s perfect or anything like that But it was a really beautiful celebration of where we’ve gotten to in a divorce And I think people often put more effort into a marriage then I’m just going to be fucking angry and pissed off for the rest of my life And I actually think we’ve put some hard work into it like making sure that we have a really successful divorce that’s the last line of that chapter We had to go through the hard marriage to get to the good divorce but we’re way better at divorce than we ever were at marriage this is something that’s fairly common now that I hadn’t heard captured in a song before how parents that are centering the needs of their of their kids and find a way to build a world around them to make sure that they have that continuity I think it’s really beautiful because there are so many songs about marriage and divorce but I’ve never heard a song before that’s about co-parenting and becoming friends again after the divorce Kasey Chambers: I actually think my children have a more solid family unit now My partner and I look after him every Tuesday He comes to our house and we’re his babysitters on Tuesday And so he comes and hangs out with us and his big brother and sister So I think we have a much healthier family dynamic and unit It’s almost like it’s because we’ve had to really work at it to make sure that it works really well I always say it’s just such a functioning dysfunctional family Kevin John Coyne: It makes me think of what you said earlier about how you want to show your kids but it might not work for me down the road and I’ll change.”  I’m not surprised to hear they’re happy and stronger now because you’re modeling for them that it’s important for the individual people in a relationship to be happy as well but everything I’ve seen has been that the kids who are the most successful are the ones who have loving parents in their life It’s never mattered what the family structure is I don’t really think anyone’s family truly ever ends up looking exactly like what you think it will look like anyway “This is what my perfect family is going to look like.” And divorce or no divorce So it’s finding a healthy functioning family not so much one that looks really perfect on Instagram I think it’s just a different perspective and going not the one that looks all good on the outside.”  Kevin John Coyne: What I’ve loved about this interview the most is finding out the subtext really is the text that’s what I love about this interview is that I actually feel like all of these songs that you have picked up on you often don’t know if it’s going to land or or even if the emotion that you put in it is the emotion that people hear and I can’t ever be in control of that So I just put it out there and hope for the best More of our conversation with Kasey Chambers will be published next month as we cover one of her albums in our upcoming 20th Anniversary feature Backbone is now available in the US. Just Don’t Be a Dickhead releases October 22 Open in Spotify Every #1 Country Single of the Eighties: Shenandoah I love how you said things that made her think about her own songs a different way I can tell she enjoyed doing this interview too I’ve only had achance to listen to it once so far Really excited to hear that you love the album Your review of Rattlin’ Bones was so critical in our early years and expanded the scope of what we cover at Country Universe Copyright © 2025 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes Artists Interviews and Profiles SongwritersGuitar Talk: Kenyan Singer-Songwriter Ondara Has Found his Voice in AmericaOne of the more interesting cats to emerge in the acoustic guitar world is Kenya-born One of the more interesting cats to emerge in the acoustic guitar world in the past couple of years is Kenya-born, Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara (known simply as Ondara now), who came out of the gate strong with his wonderful 2019 debut release, Tales of America found its way onto Billboard’s Emerging Artists and earned him a Grammy nomination in the Best Americana Album category Ondara has opened for the likes of Lindsey Buckingham Not bad for a guy who didn’t even play guitar until he won a green card lottery and moved to the United States in 2013 Ondara was constantly scribbling away in journals—poems potential song lyrics—all the while absorbing the music of American and British songwriters as he dreamed of someday being able to afford a guitar His songs—some drawn from those early journals but mostly more recent jottings—are personal and evocative his voice a clear tenor that sometimes climbs to a searing falsetto (which sounds quite “African” to me) His guitar playing is a mix of sturdy strums and the occasional decorative filigree Tales of America drew heavily on his experience of being an immigrant, and now his second album, which unexpectedly materialized this summer, is entirely devoted to songs inspired by the coronavirus pandemic: Folk n’ Roll Vol. 1: Tales of Isolation finds Ondara armed with just acoustic guitar and harmonica baring his soul on a powerful collection of tunes he wrote and recorded over a period of less than a week What was originally slated to be his second album a fully produced affair with other players will become the third offering from the fascinating and prolific artist and began by asking about the pandemic album How did the songs on the new album come about?  I wrote a bunch of words first; it was a strange process Just go-go-go—almost a stream of consciousness over three days in my journal Then I went through it and picked out ones I thought could be made into songs and came up with some melodies and then I grabbed the guitar and tried to put them in some progressions It was almost like a vomit of words and melodies And of course it helped to be able to have an engineer who could just set up and record One of the last records I recall that managed to successfully distill ideas and capture some of the zeitgeist of an event was Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising which came out in the wake of the 9/11 attacks I was coincidentally listening to [Springsteen’s spare acoustic album] Nebraska a lot when I was making this record It sounds like you mostly listened to Western music growing up Did you have any relationship with benga or soukous or any of the other African forms that are popular in Kenya I was sort of using music to escape to another world I wanted to go to travel someplace musically where people spoke different and sung different and instruments sounded different so I became attached to Western music at a very early age It’s one of those things where when I was there I wanted to come here [to America] and make this kind of music and now that I’m here I want to in the future find a way to connect with the music that was back home that I never got the opportunity to establish a keen relationship with.  You said you used to write songs before you owned any instruments to play and all the way I’d be singing melodies; I still remember those melodies to this day What was and when did you get your first guitar I got to America a few years ago and I was working some temp jobs trying to save up for a decent guitar I bought one of those Mini Taylors and it worked out really well: It was great for hopping around to coffee shops and open mics and play a folk song or two rundown Yamaha [L5] that was in the bedroom of my aunt’s house [in Minneapolis] It wasn’t in good enough condition to play out I picked up a lot of things learning online I started out by playing a couple of Dylan songs: I learned “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Mr Tambourine Man.” I learned [Neil Young’s] “Heart of Gold” early I love your version of that on the Deluxe version of Tales of America—so eerily beautiful That’s basically me trying to learn how to play I was so anxious to put my stories to music and write my own songs to be able to play them at open mics that I went in that direction coming up with the chords for what I heard in my head or just finding anything that sounded good to me and experimenting with a capo and trying different tunings.  The process of learning the guitar has been a continuous process It’s me touching this and putting my finger here: “Oh Maybe I’ll take this story I wrote and turn it into a song.” On the new record I used a few different tunings: open G on “Isolation Anonymous” and open D on “Six Feet Away.” like on “Isolation Anonymous,” which is a cool strumming workout so it’s really me just trying things and being curious about what can be done to help me tell my stories.  When I first heard “Days of Insanity” I immediately thought of Van Morrison’s strumming cadence on the song “Astral Weeks.” Do you know that song and album I was listening a lot to it when I was making my first album Morrison is a guitarist who doesn’t get much credit for being a really good player but in fact he has a fluid personal style that serves his songs perfectly Is there a Dylan period you particularly like or relate to as a songwriter The albums that got me into Dylan were the early ones I was a teenager struggling to figure out whatI wanted to do with my life when I first heard that but I didn’t know how to turn that into anything My artistic ambitions were suppressed by the nature of the culture I grew up in But hearing Dylan I thought maybe I could learn to play guitar and sing my stories and go to America and maybe people would listen to them I’m very fond of Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde He’s had great longevity and sustenance of a career by being honest to himself as a person in the time that he’s making a record.  Who are some of the other guitarists you’ve been influenced by I’m mostly inspired by songwriters and how the guitar intertwines with the songwriting and is used as a tool as well—that sound and those strange open tunings have you learned from opening for people like Lindsey Buckingham and Neil Young A lot of it is just is seeing them go up onstage and give it everything every night; they really do And they’ve been doing it for decades and decades It’s almost like they’re doing it for the first time every time They still have that passion and that fire and that connection to the audience that is very raw and very real And I hope that after I’ve been doing it a long time In your NPR Tiny Desk concert online you played three different Martins I have a Martin endorsement and they’ve been very kind to give me guitars I played a show and somebody [from Martin] came up to me after and said Do you want this Martin guitar?” I was like “Uh I’ll take that guitar!” [laughs] It sounds amazing I travel with a few guitars because I don’t like to tune between songs if I don’t have to So I usually have a few guitars and my guitar tech I still have the Mini Taylor and the Yamaha How do you think you’ve matured as a player and a singer since your open-mic days I’d never really sung or played in front of humans and decided I was going to become a folk singer maybe I really can do this.” But then after the tours were cancelled recently and suddenly there was this long break where I didn’t play for people the first time I went and did an online concert maybe because of how I started playing later in my life Now I feel the only way to keep the confidence going is being on tour consistently and feeding it This article originally appeared in the November/December 2020 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Blair JacksonBlair Jackson is the author of the definitive biography Garcia: An American Life and was senior editor at Acoustic Guitar before retiring in 2023 We welcome all feedback – whether positive or critical – but ask that your comments remain civil We’ll remove comments that don’t meet these criteria and reserve the right to ban frequent abusers from posting altogether Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" You may unsubscribe or change which emails you receive at any time We will never share your email address with third-parties Copyright © 2025 - String Letter Publishing Ondara landed in Minneapolis on a pilgrimage lured by his love of Minnesota native son Bob Dylan’s music “I thought I’d go to Hibbing and it would be a magnificent city with music coming from all over the place,” he says laughing at his thoughts of the small town as the Emerald City and home was a long way from there — Nairobi where as a teen he’d fallen completely for the music of Dylan he impetuously decided to trek to where his hero’s story began “It was all very romantic for me,” he says It makes sense right now.’ It was all a very romantic choice make all these romantic decisions and not have any expectations out of it other than freewheelin’ spirit went pretty well for him This month sees the release of his own debut album personal folk-influenced songs drawn from the journey he’s made and the observations along the way produced by veteran Mike Viola (who as vice president of A&R at Verve signed him to his deal) and featuring appearances by such fellow Dylan acolytes as Andrew Bird Dawes’ Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith and Milk Carton Kids’ Joey Ryan The release comes on the heels of his first major tour opening for no less than Lindsey Buckingham this is in no way an imitation or even homage often swaying around stand-up bass played by Los Angeles stalwart Sebastian Steinberg there’s a closer resemblance to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks though you might hear some Jeff (and Tim) Buckley in it at times piercing the heavens with an otherworldly falsetto movingly unguarded on the haunting a cappella “Turkish Bandana.” “We really didn’t have much growing up,” he says transmissions from another world in a language the Swahili-speaking youth didn’t understand “I was intrigued by the music and language To me it was a spaceship to another universe.” though not knowing the language he sang gibberish — well maybe not that far off with some of Kurt Cobain’s often hard-to-decipher mumbling “I heard all these songs and developed a kinship for a long time and used them to study English because I wanted to understand what Cobain was saying or [Radiohead’s] Thom Yorke or [Death Cab’s] Ben Gibbard,” he says “I was curious about the language and the spirit and that spurred me to learn English and I built my vocabulary listening to these songs.” Another song that caught his ear was “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” — the Guns ’N Roses version which he assumed was an original by that band It was only after losing a bet to a school mate about the song’s authorship that he discovered the music of Dylan himself I wrote a lot about the sun for some reason I was fascinated by the universe in general and wasn’t really receiving the answers I needed So I would write poems and stories about it as a way to process it and learn about the world One reason I believe I was drawn to Dylan was listening to his records I thought I could probably do this!’ I felt I saw a path for me I can take these stories and poems and put them in melodies and perhaps people could like them in a grand way where he had a few relatives and friends scattered about “I started by applying to the University of Minnesota and looking for work opportunities in the state “As I ran into a wall and was running out of options in the wee hours of the morning to be told that I had won a green card lottery and could move to the States Turns out an aunt had applied for these green cards for a few of us and mine went through His family helped get the money together for the trip after he told them that he was going to become a doctor “I picked up a guitar and learned a couple Dylan songs then would go back to those melodies and these poems I’d written call it a song and then go out and try to play for people very gradually trying to get these songs in front of people.” And with some money he’d saved from work via a temp agency Soon a local public radio station put his songs in regular rotation Word spread and contacts started to come in from the music business both in Minneapolis and around the country a veteran musician (the band the Candy Butchers as well as singer of the title song from the movie That Thing You Do) who had recently taken the job at Verve but with Mike there was a connection,” he says “I’d do meetings and mention favorite Dylan records and no one knew what I was talking about the idea of trying to make a very stripped-down record like that A few things on it that embellish the stories too!’ There was just chemistry I hadn’t had before.” “It was the old troubadour style of making folk records,” he says “You get into the studio — you wrote a bunch of songs and maybe get some people around you and play this The result is an album that portrays the wonder and delight — and also the struggles and heartbreaks — of his time in America with a facility for language that escapes most native speakers “The Starred and Striped Fairy of the West,” shows another facet of that.) The opening song “American Dream,” is equal parts welcoming embrace and distancing suspicion his poetic images boiling the national spirit to an intimately personal level That inner view is there throughout the album It all came naturally from his experiences “I wrote the words ‘I’m getting good at saying goodbye’ just a month after moving to America,” he says of the chorus of the somber “Saying Goodbye.” “They were just words at the time But after turning them into a song and singing them over and over I can see that I was grappling with thoughts of the past and future I could see that the totality of my past — being family all of it — was stopping me from becoming not just who I wanted to be but who I’d be best at being he’s also found that echoes of his past can be heard in some of these songs notably the loping “Lebanon,” bear rhythms echoing those common in music of that region of Africa — the national benga or Nigerian highlife And there’s something ingrained in the vocals that even Ondara only heard after the fact “I was listening back to some of the songs and I can hear toward the end of some that I start to make some sounds influenced by my native language which is not something I tried to do,” he says The Reader When-Saturday May 27th Doors 7PM Show 8PM Tickets-Slowdown.com $25 advance $30 day of show One of the best origin stories in modern music is that of Kenyan singer-songwriter Ondara The story goes that Ondara grew up listening to rock songs on his sister’s battery-powered radio and after a dispute with a friend over whether “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” was a Bob Dylan or Guns & Roses song decided to travel to the United States to pursue music He won a green card lottery and moved to Minneapolis because Bob Dylan would go on to become his musical hero he would teach himself to play the guitar and begin performing around town including a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album He followed up that album with an on-the-nose pandemic release entitled Folk n’ Roll Vol released while many were still trying to make sense of what was happening and long before the pandemic would peak 3 and took on the persona of The Spanish Villager recently beat out 15,000 other entries to win the top prize at the 22nd annual International Songwriting Competition I spoke with him over the phone in anticipation of his performance at The Slowdown on Saturday Ondara canceled shows last year as he was working on his new Spanish Villager stage show He tells me later that the show this weekend will be more traditional but I asked him about the Spanish Villager persona I was feeling this need to sort of create a demarcation between the art and the artist because I was running into some mental health issues by trying to reconcile who I was as an individual and sort of a commodified public entity whose star was rising So that was becoming difficult for me mentally and I had to create a wall between me as a person and me the artist That was the only way for me to continue with my career because I would’ve quit if I hadn’t.” On the song “A Prophet of Doom” off of Spanish Villager he sings of “democracy being on the line” and seems to speak of a blasé attitude of people toward saving it “There is a song by The Who where one of the lines is ‘meet the new boss I think part of A Prophet of Doom was inspired by that sentiment Sometimes change is difficult to pinpoint because if the system doesn’t fundamentally change I have also been trying to calculate the difference between democracy here and democracy back home I think I expected things to be different here but it seems that the human condition is the same wherever you go they are just as human regardless of where in the world they are since it is difficult to fix the human condition we can only try to fix the system within which we exist I think that is what The Who was talking about and I think that is what I was talking about as well.” With the Tales of Isolation album being almost a snapshot of the pandemic in real time I asked how Ondara thinks the album will hold up over time. “I don’t know” It’s really a specific portrait of that particular time I think I might maybe do a re-release on the ten-year anniversary and maybe play the songs with a band and collectively reflect on what a weird time that was.” While “Saying Goodbye” off of his debut album Tales of America was the single off of that album people gravitated towards the song “Lebanon,” which has a more traditional folk feel I asked why people connected with that song “I wish I had a good answer for it.” “I also thought “Saying Goodbye” would be the song but it turned out I was surprised it was “Lebenon” because “Lebenon” was a throwaway song that I didn’t want to put on the record so I am surprised that turned out to be the song that people have become attached to After Tales of Isolation and with the pandemic raging Ondara went radio silent on social media for close to a year I inquired if he feels pressure to be on social media I think I would have been more compatible with the rock and roll format of the 60’s where you make a record The social media experiment that we are all partaking in is kind of a rabbit hole I am not even sure it is a net positive for civilization I am finding ways to do it in my own way and not become an algorithm and I think that needs to be clear.” I asked what Bob Dylan song he would record first if Ondara pulled the trigger on a Dylan covers album that he has mentioned online. “I think a lot of people would like me to start with “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” because that was my gateway drug I thought it was a GNR song; I was very confident That is how I found Dylan and fell into this rabbit hole of Dylan that I haven’t been able to get out of I think at some point I will do a Dylan project I think I have to; I feel like I need to; my soul feels the need to do that I did recently play a tribute concert at Dylan’s old high school in Hibbing I just played Dylan songs; it was really cool.” He first played Europe when he did begin playing shows again and I asked if things clicked back into place “I think I discovered something; I think I had forgotten who I really was just because when you spend so much time not doing the thing that makes you feel alive you kind of lose that connection with your inner spirit and I realized something that I had completely forgotten or didn’t know which is that folks coming to the show just wanted to see me They didn’t care if I was playing with a band or whatever; they just wanted to commune and I am so glad that occurred and that gave me the momentum that I needed to come into the new year.” The current tour is called The Rebirth Tour and I asked what people can expect from these shows. He stated because I don’t feel like there is a straight continuity between my career pre-pandemic and post-pandemic and it seems like we have to recalibrate in a way and go back to build that initial feeling I had that initial connection with music and with the people People can expect a very intimate show and stories about my journey to America It is going to be very similar to what my first tour was.” You must be logged in to post a comment NEWS NewsMusicFood & DrinkArtFilmStageBest of Big O THE READERAbout UsOur AwardsContact UsPrivacy Policy CONTACT USNebraska Public MediaThe Reader1800 North 33rd StreetLincoln How much traveling had you done before you moved to Minnesota I really hadn’t left the country before I came here But I have become very attached to Minneapolis am I homesick because I’m away from Minneapolis or because I’m away from Nairobi a battery-powered radio] was the only way to hear a song My sisters would put the radio on this rock station It happened very quickly when CDs started becoming a thing My sisters would come home with mixes of rock songs you would see people on the side of the road blasting music and selling pirated CDs Maybe I’ll buy it.” It’s like tasting wine or something How did you decide on the sound of your album I wanted to make a really stripped-down and raw record because that’s the music I fell in love with I listened to a lot of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and a lot of [Bruce Springsteen’s] Nebraska while recording But also I tried to incorporate these textures that don’t take too much away from the voice and the story There’s a lot of songs that are just me and a guitar The whole record is a collection of experiences I’ve had mostly in Minneapolis What happened to that Yamaha guitar you started with I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of that one Sometimes I just ramble and do this stream-of-consciousness thing That’s how I began writing when I was a kid What are you doing when you’re not working on music Watching Lindsey Buckingham play all these songs I’ve loved for so long Name a local show that left an impression on you It felt like I’d gone to a museum and looked at a Picasso painting for two hours you just have to go see it.” Same thing with a painting: “I dunno After these songs have existed for a while that’s what this meant.” The songs start developing meaning I think it’s a reference to someone I knew from Lebanon It’s just a love song about sticking it out through the thick and thin with the person you love What would you say to Bob Dylan if you got to meet him you don’t really even know how to act or be around them I’m also perfectly fine with not meeting him at all Catch J.S. Ondara at First Avenue in Minneapolis January 19 Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain Ondara will host its traditional “Fair of Fairs” across three weekends starting on November 9 emphasising its historical importance in promoting local commerce and community spirit The first weekend will feature the Marina Alta Fair on November 9 and 10 The Marina Alta Fair will unite 11 local municipalities, providing a platform for tourism and economic promotion along with attractions like a rapid painting contest and a walking route through a “riuraus” Expect to see mediaeval fun on November 16 and 17 an animal fair and an exhibition of vintage vehicles The tivoli-like attraction fair will run for three weekends until November 24 with reduced prices for children on November 13 and 20 The second weekend’s fair of samples and purchases will focus on local commerce This vibrant event aims to engage the community, celebrate local culture, and ensure the historical legacy of Ondara continues to thrive. For more information, visit La Veu d’Ondara Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish   This newscast is updated weekdays at 6am From After first shedding the "J.S." part of his name, Minnesota-based Ondara has now shed the largely acoustic guitar-based folk sound found on his first two releases What the Kenyan-born singer-songwriter has not shed On "An Alien In Minneapolis," Ondara shares yet another poignant observation of what it means to be an outsider in a foreign place It's a true story shaped by real life experiences that don't quite match the idealized impression of America he developed from afar as a boy in Africa listening to shortwave radio Ondara has done more than simply add an electric bass or drum kit on the new single It's a completely new sonic package that embraces both his intriguing voice and a unique accent that remains present when he sings "An Alien In Minneapolis" will lead his new album Spanish Villager No The villager referenced is an alter ego of sorts a created vantage point through which Ondara channels his compelling narrative ◈ Stream "An Alien In Minneapolis" by Ondara ▶ Watch Ondara's Tiny Desk concert ◈ Follow the #NowPlaying playlist Become an NPR sponsor On his new album, Spanish Villager No: 3, Minneapolis-based, Kenya-born singer-songwriter Ondara shares his gift for vocal phrasing and delivering songs he’s inhabited The crystalline clarity of Ondara’s vocals at once display rawness of emotion The album follows a Spanish villager in his escapades around the world as he ruminates on heresy “Aliens in Minneapolis,” begins with the repeating line: “Look now what I’ve become.” The singer delivers this in an ethereal chilling chant before the song launches into a percussive The experience of alienation reverberates: “Look now what I’ve become/Someone from another space and time/Look now what I’ve become/Just anyone—no one.” Ondara’s character moves from city to city on the first half of the album pop-inflected “A Blackout in Paris” rides in on rhythmic guitar down-strums before blossoming into a lush love song It reverberates with the tentativeness of anticipation and regret over missed connections Harmonica strains open and weave through the twinkling “A Seminar in Tokyo,” with Ondara’s Dylan-esque vocals The singer ruminates on the mysteries of love and his preference for one lover whom he wants to accompany him on his travels to Tokyo Soaring choruses build layer by layer on the song’s outro The ingenious “A Prophet of Doom” opens with an a cappella warning about the illusory nature of the government it’s just a new face with the same old message the singer functions as a prophet who warns that democracy is merely a shell game (“Same script The second half of the album is filled with songs—“A Nocturnal Heresy,” “A Suspicious Deliverance,” and “A Witch and a Saint”—that explore the permeable borders of sex and salvation Then it closes with the propulsive “A Contrarian Odyssey,” which continues the previous dialogues between body and soul Bright Wurlitzer chords layer between the beats a feast rich with sonic pleasures for each palate gathered at his table Spanish Villager No. 3 is available HERE YouTube The "Torch Song" singer describes how his new album aims to 'Speak about my perspective on the times we're in in America as an immigrant" Although he grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, singer/songwriter J.S. Ondara has more in common with Bob Dylan than you might think not far from where Dylan hailed from, to pursue a career. Also like Dylan the prolific Ondara wittled down fhundreds of songs he wrote to the 11 stories comprising Tales Of America "I was trying, in some ways, summarize my jorney so far of my time in America in a few songs, a few words, and speak about my perspective on the times we're in in America, as an immigrant," Ondara told us of Tales... backstage at Newport Folk recently.  another Dylan parallel and another giant step in his American journey "I've known about this festival for a long time," said Ondara "I used to watch videos of it when i was back home in Kenya all the time Bringing his fresh take on Americana and the American experience Ondara voice is a welcome and refreshing sound and perspective for the genre a new version of an outstanding track on the album "Torch Song (Echo Park)," he sings with a jarring fragility and wisdom beyond his years "Don't hold a torch to the sun/My heart is never on time/Always a little behind/Oh when it's about to break/I close my eyes and count to ten." <iframe width="620" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2oECM301oqA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Ondara's songs such as "American Dream," Television Girl," and "Lebanon" have stirred up quite a buzz, and Rolling Stone called him out as an artist you need to know earlier this year.  Catch Ondara on tour this fall in North America and France and watch our interview with him above for more Steve Cropper reflects on his decades-long career his 2025 GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album and the enduring influence of Stax Records The 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th GRAMMY Awards, will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 2. Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast will be reimagined to raise funds to support wildfire relief efforts and aid music professionals impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Donate to the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort To Support Music Professionals Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted before the onset of the wildfires in Los Angeles Steve Cropper is still "selling energy" — putting forth what a younger generation might call blues rock "vibes" with his pals as if it were still 1970 Cropper co-wrote Redding's "(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay." Steve Cropper has stayed true to himself for over seven decades thanks in no small part to advice from Stax founder Jim Stewart 'Just play yourself and if they don't like it they'll tell you,'" Cropper tells GRAMMY.com "So I've been playing myself all my life and it's worked out "Steve's guitar playing on the song 'Hurry Up Sundown' is probably some of his best solo work and rhythm work," Tiven says "It's amazing that at this point in his career he could still be creating some of the greatest music of his life I think that's a wonderful testament to the strength of his talent." There was very little methodical music-making behind Friendlytown which partially grew out of sessions Cropper put together for his 2021 album Fire It Up "This record was just about a bunch of guys getting together and having some fun Let's have a blast and try to make the party come to the record rather than the record come to the party," Tiven notes Cropper and Tiven had been working on songs for years with the hopes of finding friendly musicians to give them life the duo sat on instrumentals for years — until Tiven ran into Billy Gibbons at Trader Joe's When Tiven told the sharp-dressed man he was making a record with Steve Cropper "He just lit up like a firecracker and said he'd like to bring us a song it's only going on the record unless you play on it.' And he said Gibbons ended up on 11 tracks; Friendlytown marks the first time he and Cropper worked together in many years The ZZ Top vocalist's influence is audible on the album particularly the title track and Eliminator-esque "Lay It On Down." While casual may be the name of Cropper's game these days, "it definitely wasn't 35, 40 years ago," he says. Back then (and largely before, as Cropper left the label in 1970), making music was "was very serious, and I don't even think the guys had a good time." With a laugh, Cropper recalls his best friend, the Stax bassist/MG Duck Dunn pining for a world in which "Jim Stewart would've only smiled every now and then."   While Cropper calls Stewart "the greatest guy I've ever met," the label head was known to be critical it wasn't worth nothing," Cropper says A songwriter could tell me how good a song they wrote is I'm sure I've thrown away some good ones before."  Read more: 1968: A Year Of Change For The World, Memphis & Stax Records A young Cropper put up a couple of fights, and for good reason. He recalls stumping for Wilson Pickett's "Ninety-nine and a half": [Jim Stewart said] "You boys was out there woodsheddin’ That song ain't going to make it." Cropper pressed it The track made the cut for Pickett's 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett Another big Stax hit stayed on the shelf for nine months while Cropper and co. battled it out with Stax brass. "Finally Al Bell went to Jim and said It's called ‘Knock on Wood.' And Jim says but you got to use your own money,'" Cropper says "He hated that record until it was a hit." Reflecting on the hardest song he's ever played Cropper quickly points to Sam and Dave's "Soul Man." But the 1967 smash isn't difficult for the reasons you might think: the guitarist had to balance a Zippo lighter on his leg during sessions and performances which he used to mimic the song's opening horn line "I always had to dance [when recording] with Sam and Dave A lot of guitar players don't know that I played with a Zippo lighter and I'd slide it," he recalls Cropper reportedly hated the sound and feel of new guitar strings — something is no longer the case in old age — and in a lip-smacking good tidbit of studio lore "I carry a thing of ChapStick all the time and I would go up and down the strings; [that would] take about three months out of the string so it would sound like the rest of them." After decades in the business, it seems as if Cropper – though ever a professional – doesn't take himself or the creative process too seriously. He jokingly shares a reccolation from a studio session during his Stax years: Once the session was finished, Cropper told the group "Damn, this sounds like a hit." "And Al Jackson said they're all hits until they're released.' He's probably right." One of Stax's reliable hitmakers was a close friend of Cropper's: Otis Redding The two shared a deep musical bond and some shared history Both musicians grew up on farms ("By the time I was 14 I was gone in my mind," Cropper notes) yet the guitarist describes Redding as "most streetwise person that I ever met Redding played guitar with one finger and you "never argued with Otis" — especially because he was never available for sessions for more than a day or two "I remember we cut 'I Can't Turn You Loose' in 10 minutes," Cropper says we had everybody come back at 1 [a.m.] -- after they did their gig and they went home and had their shower – so we could cut it." Cropper knew that  "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" — arguably Redding's biggest hit and Cropper's first GRAMMY win —  was a hit Because we had Otis the longest I'd had him; for two weeks." The gentle lull of "Sittin'" was a radical departure from Redding's Southern soul bombast and perhaps a sign of what was to come if the singer hadn't died tragically in a plane crash We call it crossover music; so it could go either way: That was the first one we ever had," Cropper says Steve Cropper is still going strong at 83 years old. He reports that he enjoyed HBO's recent Stax Records docuseries, and has an unfinished instrumentals album in the can. He hasn't time for regrets, only dreams, but the name of the one person Cropper wishes he had worked with fires off like lightning: Tina Tuner it didn't matter how it was she's yelling and screaming," he says Tina Turner's loudest albums still have melody and something "people will walk away humming" — the very thing Cropper loved about  Stax records rather than the music," Cropper says of his work with the MGs We just cared about melody and what's in the simplicity of the song." 2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List Watch Performances & Highlights From The 2025 GRAMMYs On Live.GRAMMY.com 2025 GRAMMYs: Beyoncé Wins First Album Of The Year Award For 'COWBOY CARTER' Kendrick Lamar Sweeps The 2025 GRAMMYs With Song Of The Year Win 2025 GRAMMYs: Chappell Roan Wins Best New Artist Sabrina Carpenter Celebrates Her 2025 GRAMMYs Wins With A Performance of "Espresso" & "Please Please Please" 2025 GRAMMYs: The Weeknd Makes Triumphant Return To GRAMMY Stage 2025 GRAMMYs: Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Perform "California Dreamin'" 2025 GRAMMYs: Chappell Roan Sings "Pink Pony Club" In Colorful Charli XCX Brings 'Brat' To The 2025 GRAMMYs With A Performance Of "Von Dutch" & "Guess" 2025 GRAMMYs: Kendrick Lamar Dedicates Record Of The Year Win To Los Angeles 2025 GRAMMYs: Shakira Performs A Belly Dance-Filled Medley Of "Ojos Asi" & "Bzrp Sessions" 2025 GRAMMYs: Best New Artist Nominees Doechii Benson Boone & More Showcase Their Remarkable Talent Beyoncé Becomes First Black Woman To Win GRAMMY For Best Country Album With 'COWBOY CARTER' Watch Coldplay's Chris Martin With Grace Bowers Perform "All My Love" In A Moving In Memoriam Tribute | 2025 GRAMMYs Performance 2025 GRAMMYs In Memoriam: Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We've Lost 2025 GRAMMYs: Alicia Keys Delivers A Powerful Call To Action After Receiving Dr 2025 GRAMMYs: Quincy Jones Honored With Star-Studded Tribute Featuring Stevie Wonder Watch Doechii Win Best Rap Album For Alligator Bites Never Heal | 2025 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech Watch Shakira Win Best Latin Pop Album For 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' | 2025 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech Watch SZA Talk About Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show "Saturn" Winning Best R&B Song & Silent Retreat Lessons | 2025 GRAMMYs Backstage Interview Watch The GRAMMYs Pay Tribute To First Responders & Hear The From The LAFD Fire Chief | 2025 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech This playlist of outside-the-box Christmas songs is filled with fresh aural holiday cheer Editor's Note: This article was updated with a new photo and YouTube videos on Dec you can never go wrong with the tried-and-true classics or any new version of a festive favorite?Even so it's always good to get out of one's comfort zone unwrap these 12 outside-the-box Christmas songs spanning rock to rap and featuring everything from refreshing spins on the familiar to unexpected holiday thrills Read More: New Christmas Songs For 2024: Listen To 50 Tracks From Pentatonix, Ed Sheeran, LISA & More This firsthand account of spending the most joyous holiday locked up and separated from the one you love offers a different kind of longing than the average lonesome Christmas tune. In signature John Prine style "Christmas In Prison" contains plenty of romantic wit ("I dream of her always even when I don't dream) and comedic hyperbole ("Her heart is as big as this whole goddamn jail") "Christmas In Prison" appeared on Prine's third album and again as a live version on his 1994 album which makes for perfect further off-beat holiday exploration When it comes to gloriously tasty six-string instrumentals, no one does it better than GRAMMY-winning Texan Eric Johnson. For his take on this timeless Christmas carol, the "Cliffs Of Dover" guitarist intermingles acoustic-based lines, sublime clean guitar passages and Hendrix-y double-stops with his trademark creamy violin-like Strat lines The result is a sonic equivalent on par with the majesty of the Rockefeller Christmas tree (For more dazzling holiday guitar tomfoolery Who doesn't want a large semiaquatic mammal for the holidays For then-10-year-old child star Gayla Peevey not only did she score with the catchy tune rocketed up the pop charts and led to a fundraising campaign to buy Peevey an actual hippo for Christmas and the Oklahoma City native got her hippo which she donated to the Oklahoma City Zoo The song itself features plodding brass instrumentals and unforgettable lyrics such as, "Mom says a hippo would eat me up but then/ Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian." It seems Peevey still has a fond legacy with the hippo activist community — she was on hand in 2017 when the Oklahoma City Zoo acquired a pygmy hippopotamus Try getting into the holiday spirit by way of meditating on the true meaning of the season with this brash uptempo Southern California crust punk tune Now the best-known song from the Vandals' 1996 Christmas album of the same name, "Oi To The World!" remained a relatively obscure track by the Huntington Beach punkers until it was covered by a rising pop/ska crossover band from nearby Anaheim, Calif., in 1997. (Perhaps you have heard of them — they were called No Doubt.) Ever since the song has been a mainstay of the Vandals' live sets and they have also played the album Oi To The World in its entirety every year since its release at their annual Winter Formal show in Anaheim Though it's best known from OutKast's 1994 debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, the Christmas version of the track "Player's Ball" was released earlier on A LaFace Family Christmas, an L.A. Reid-led project to introduce new acts The then-young Atlanta rapper duo took a Southern hip-hop spin on the season which can come across as a little irreverent but at least they're honest: "Ain't no chimneys in the ghetto so I won't be hangin' my socks on no chimneys." Though some people may not find it cheerful OutKast's season's greetings give "a little somethin' for the players out there hustlin'." You'd be hard-pressed to find a more heartbreaking Christmas story than this Tom Waits' masterpiece from 1978's Blue Valentine I'm pregnant and living on 9th Street," begins the Christmas card narrative in which a woman writes to an old flame reporting how much better things are going since she quit drugs and alcohol and found a trombone-playing husband Waits' signature early career piano-plinking and tall-tale-storytelling weaves through a dream world of hair grease and used car lots even sneaking in a Little Anthony And The Imperials reference our narrator comes clean with the sobering lyric he don't play the trombone" before pleading "I need to borrow money to pay this lawyer and Charlie hey I'll be eligible for parole come Valentine's Day." For the uninitiated this is the off-beat genius of GRAMMY winner Waits at his finest Though they took some lumps in their '80s hair-metal heyday, few would dare deny Winger's talent and musicianship. Surely on display here, frontman Kip Winger (a GRAMMY-nominated classical musician) and his bandmates begin with a traditional unplugged reading of the Franz Xaver Gruber-penned holiday chestnut But then it gets really interesting: the boys get "funky" with an inside-out musical pivot that fuses percussive rhythmic accents and some choice bluesy soloing (and high-pitched vocal responses) courtesy of lead guitarist Reb Beach With lyrics that include "I know I should have thought twice before I kissed her" in the opening, you know you're in for a sleigh ride like none other. It's therefore no surprise that Cyndi Lauper and Swedish rock band the Hives' unconventional Christmas duel describes many marital hiccups that might make some blush "It's also an absolute riot." Leave it to LCD Soundsystem's producer/frontman James Murphy to pen a holiday song about the depressing side of the season "If your world is feeling small/ There's no one on the phone/ You feel close enough to call," he sings tapping into that seasonal weirdness that can creep up especially as everything around you is incessant smiles While he doesn't shy away from examining the depressing side of surviving the holiday season as an aging 20- Murphy does at least give a glimmer of hope to grab onto "But I'm still coming home to you." As Snoop Dogg declares "It's Christmas time and my rhyme's steady bumpin'." This track from the 1996 album Christmas On Death Row lets you know why "Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto." Church food and happiness stand out as Christmas is "time to get together and give all you got; you got food good moods and what's better than together with your people." Love in the hard hood might have to watch itself but the various artists of Death Row contagiously testify to abundant love and seasonal joy This unusual combination makes A Twisted Christmas the perfect soundtrack for any child of the '80s still hoping to tick off the neighbors this holiday season the track celebrates Bay Area culture with its infectious energy and hometown pride With its dynamic lineup and energetic vibe "Players Holiday '25" is a love letter to the region's sound and legacy that bridges hip-hop and basketball culture This article features contributions from Nate Hertweck Key Glock On Channeling 2Pac With 'Glockaveli' & How The New Album Marks A "Rebranding" 6 Tips For Financial Literacy In Music From The Black Women's Brilliance Brunch Eric Church Reveals His 6 Most Important Songs Isaiah Falls Brings Southern Swagger To R&B With His Debut Album ‘LVRS Paradise’ Did you know Kendrick Lamar was discovered at just 16 years old GRAMMY.com dives deep into some of the most popular questions surrounding the multi-GRAMMY winner Editor's note: This article was updated to include the latest information about Kendrick Lamar's 2024 album release 'GNX,' and up-to-date GRAMMY wins and nominations with additional reporting by Nina Frazier When the world crowns you the king of a genre as competitive as rap, your presence — and lack thereof — is palpable. After a five-year hiatus, Kendrick Lamar declaratively stomped back on stage with his fifth studio album to explain why the crown no longer fits him Lamar circles back to celebrate the west on 2024's GNX a 12-track release that revels in the root of his love for hip-hop and California culture from the lowriders to the rappers that laid claim to the golden state “My baby boo, you either heal n—s or you kill n—s/ Both is true, it take some tough skin just to deal with you” Lamar raps on "gloria" featuring SZA a track that opines on his relationship with the genre The Compton-born rapper (who was born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) wasn't always championed as King Kendrick. In hip-hop, artists have to earn that moniker, and Lamar's enthroning occurred in 2013 when he delivered a now-infamous verse on Big Sean's "Control." "I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the King of New York, King of the Coast; one hand I juggle 'em both," Lamar raps before name-dropping some of the top rappers of the time, from Drake to J.Cole Whether you've been a fan of Lamar since before his crown-snatching verse or you find yourself in need of a crash course on the 37-year-old rapper's illustrious career GRAMMY.com answers nine questions that will paint the picture of Lamar's more than decade-long reign Due to the breakthrough success of his Aftermath Entertainment debut (good kid, m.A.A.d city), most people attribute Kendrick Lamar's discovery to fellow Compton legend Dr. Dre But seven years before Dre's label came calling Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith saw potential in a 16-year-old rapper by the name of K.Dot Lamar's first mixtape in 2004 was enough for Tiffith's Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) to offer the aspiring rapper a deal with the label in 2005 Lamar would later learn that Tiffith's impact on his life dates back to multiple encounters between his father and the TDE founder which Lamar raps about in his 2017 track "DUCKWORTH." Kendrick Lamar has released six studio albums: Section.80 (2011), Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012), To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) DAMN. (2017),Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), and GNX (2024). Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN received both Rap Album Of The Year and Album Of The Year GRAMMY nominations Across the board, it's "HUMBLE." The 2017 track is Lamar's only solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (he also reached No. 1 status with Taylor Swift on their remix of her 1989 hit "Bad Blood") "HUMBLE." is also his most-streamed song on Spotify and YouTube His most recent wins include three awards at the 2023 GRAMMYs, which included two for his album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Best Rap Performance for "The Hillbillies" with Baby Keem He has two: Rapper Baby Keem and former Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young are both cousins of his Lamar appeared on three tracks — "family ties," "range brothers" and "vent" — from Keem's debut album featuring on "Savior (Interlude)" and "Savior" as well as receiving production and writing credits on "N95" and "Die Hard." Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Baby Keem On Inspiring Rap's Next Generation, Why "Producer Artists" Are The Best & The Likelihood Of A Kendrick Lamar Collab Album Lamar can be seen sporting a crown of thorns on the Mr He has sported the look for multiple performances since the project's release Dave Free described the striking headgear as "a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens." Holy symbolism and the blurred line between kings and gods are themes Lamar revisits often on Mr He uses lines like "Kendrick made you think about it but he is not your savior" and songs like "Mirror" to reject the unforeseen God-like expectations that came with his King of Hip-Hop status According to Vogue designed crown features 8,000 cobblestone micro pave diamonds and took over 1,300 hours of work by four craftsmen to construct and a GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: The Album Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) confirmed that Mr Morale & The Big Steppers was the Compton rapper's last project under the iconic West Coast label According to Lamar, his departure was about growth as opposed to any internal troubles. "May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling," Lamar wrote on his website in August 2021 "There's beauty in completion." TDE president Punch expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with Mic "We watched him grow from a teenager up into an established grown man and one of the greatest artists of all time," he said "So it's time to move on and try new things and venture out." Before Lamar's official exit from TDE, he launched a new venture called pgLang — a multi-disciplinary service company for creators, co-founded with longtime collaborator Dave Free — in 2020 The young company has already collaborated with Cash App As if performing at the Super Bowl in your home city wasn't enough the Compton rapper also got to watch his home team hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the night Three years after his first Super Bowl halftime performance, Lamar will return to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on Feb. 9, 2025 — just one week after the 2025 GRAMMYs — at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Kendrick Lamar is currently scheduled to hit the road with SZA on the Grand National Tour beginning in May 2025 Lamar concluded The Big Steppers Tour in 2022 where he was joined by pgLang artists Baby Keem and Tanna Leone The tour included a four-show homecoming at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena in September 2022 followed by performances in Europe,Australia there are no upcoming tour dates scheduled but fans should check back for updates following the release of GNX Wiz Khalifa On Why He Made 'Kush + Orange Juice 2,' The Rappers He Co-Signs & Good Smoking Music Revisit All Of SZA & Kendrick Lamar's Collaborations: "Luther," "All The Stars" & More Palestinian Rapper MC Abdul's "Through My Eyes" COMA-CHI Fuses Tradition & Hip-Hop On "Iyasaka" festival is famous for bringing an array of electronic sounds to classic house and rare back-to-backs — and this year's lineup features some of the biggest and buzziest acts in dance music When it comes to American dance music culture few events carry the cool cache of a HARD party Founded on New Year's Eve of 2008 by DJ and former label A&R Gary Richards the name HARD has become synonymous with taste-making offering fans an enviable mix of influential headliners and cutting-edge up-and-comers HARD parties have been a breakout platform for luminaries like Justice, Skrillex, deadmau5 and the HARD Summer festival is one of the brand's most celebrated flagship events HARD was absorbed into the Insomniac festival family — the same company that brings fan-favorites EDC Las Vegas and Electric Forest to life — which ensures the stage production on-site activities and other ancillary fun are sure to be supersized How many festivals do you know that offer a Ferris wheel and a swimming pool Coming to Los Angeles' Hollywood Park near SoFi Stadium on Aug this year's lineup continues the tradition of blending authoritative artists legacy DJs and unique back-to-back headliners with buzzy newcomers in a variety of genres and styles there's something to please every palette we seriously recommend exploring the undercard because the biggest name in electronic music tomorrow is probably playing one of the HARD side stages today While you wrap your head around the stacked lineup check out a quick guide to 10 must-see acts below A legend on the decks who can play blissful disco or teeth-shattering techno with a smile, Boys Noize is a must-see on any lineup simply because he loves doing the job. He recently teamed with Skrillex on the anthem "Fine Day," and released an entire EP with alt-rap icon Rico Nasty. He's also the producer behind Lady Gaga's beloved Ariana Grande collab "Rain On Me," and Playboi Carti's "Unlock It," but he's likely to unleash a massive set of hard techno bangers for the L.A crowd — though you never can tell which direction he'll take you in next As the top-billed headliner for Saturday night, Disclosure should need little to no introduction to any modern dance music fan — but that doesn't mean you should sleep on their set as well as incorporating international sounds and styles into their club-driven house grooves Disclosure returned with the dance floor-ready single "She's Gone Dance On," announcing themselves as arbiters of disco-laced funk and good-time DJs for 2024 crowds Surely they'll be in top form come HARD Summer If you like your dark techno to come with a side of hip-shaking Latin rhythms Miami-bred duo INVT is the experimental sound machine you can't possibly pass up Luca Medici and Delbert Perez have been best friends since they were kids and that closeness comes through in their tight experimental sets blending booming bass with glitched-out techno synths INVT are — as the name may imply — extremely innovative leaning into their own productions and edits to curate an approach that feels hypnotic If you're not afraid of beats that go really hard and get a little weird this is a set that can set your wild mind ablaze What happens when you put two of the most unique and hard-hitting producers in electronic music together on one stage? Deadmau5 is one of the scene's leading icons, and Rezz (who released her debut album of deadmau5's Mau5trap label in 2017) shifted bass music culture with her gritty and after years of teasing possible collaborations those shared interests merged on the 2021 collaboration "Hypnocurrency." Two years later dystopian 2023 single "Infraliminal" — not just a brilliant rework of deadmau5's 2012 track "Superliminal," but the official introduction to Rezzmau5 Rezzmau5 haven't released anything since and live performances from the duo have remained few and far between But the monolithic duo just warmed up their trippy joint live show at Tomorrowland 2024 which was set in "the mythical realm of Silvyra," a world "filled with creatures and people living in harmony." Whether or not their HARD set follows the same storyline it's certain to shake the skulls of every dancer at Hollywood Park There aren't many electronic acts that bring the same level of frontman energy that Elderbrook boasts on stage creating a rock-show experience unlike most sets at heavily electronic festivals like HARD He leads the crowd in heartfelt sing-alongs to hits including "Numb," "Something About You," "Inner Light" and his megahit CamelPhat collab "Cola." his one-man band performance is sure to draw a serious crowd If you're ready for a break from the hard-edged rave noise and want to ascend to heavenly heights Nothing is more fun than watching two best mates go absolutely nuts on the decks because they spend the whole set trying to impress each other Chris Lake is one of the most influential producers in tech house Fisher is one of the most unhinged and energizing DJs one can ever witness the besties deliver an over-the-top party with an arsenal of mind-numbing drops weirdo grooves and just-plain fun vibes that make you wanna hug your friends and dance 'til you sweat but make no mistake: these two have completely mastered the blueprint If you like your sets to be playful cross-genre explorations of sounds from around the world — tied together by booty-shaking beats and booming bass lines — JYOTY is sure to check all your boxes She knows how to lead a great party because she spent her childhood frequenting the unmatched clubs of Amsterdam And with an ethos built around playing whatever the heck she wants she's comfortable dropping a bit of hip-hop into some Brazilian bops but no one brings the house down quite like Kerri Chandler A pioneer of the original deep and garage house movements Chandler was a foundational DJ of the '80s scene holding down a residency at the legendary Club Zanzibar in New Jersey and founding the MadHouse Records label If you want to feel the soulful spirit that made electronic music what it is Chandler's dreamy mix of feel-good melodies served over kickin' club beats are a direct line to house music's roots You know how Mary Poppins had a magical bag that held everything from a hat rack to an ornate mirror California DJ Mary Droppinz comes equipped with a magical USB that's positively bursting with mean beats and original edts This woman can blend everything from grimy bouncing bass to ethereal orchestral house, Spice Girls reworks '90s R&B remixes and chart-topping hits of the moment twisted into face-melting heaters You can try to guess where she'll go next but it's better to just let her take control and follow the vibe through all the devious twists and turns You'll leave her set dripping with sweat Disclosure aren't the only brilliant UK brothers on the HARD Summer lineup Overmono's Tom and Ed Russell hail from Wales and make some of the most inspired club records of our time That's the caliber they're rockin' with — and the prestige they'll bring to HARD Summer Stagecoach 2025 Playlist: Listen To Sierra Ferrell Avery Anna & More Badass Women On The Lineup 7 Show-Stopping Sets From Coachella 2025 Weekend 1: Lady Gaga Coachella 2025 Weekend 1 Recap: 13 Surprises And Special Moments From Bernie Sanders To Queen's Brian May 11 Must-See Artists At Coachella 2025: Darkside 2025 Music Festivals Guide: Lineups & Dates For Coachella RECORDING ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP ADVOCACY MUSICARES LATIN GRAMMYS GRAMMY MUSEUM Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy and its Affiliates Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy and its Affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates There was a whole lot of great music released in 2019, but J.S. Ondara really hit it out of the park with his debut album, Tales of America You don't have to simply take our word for it though: Tales of America was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards keep reading and learn more about this remarkable artist Meet More of The Boot's 2020 Artists to Watch Get to know this up-and-comer!\nRead More There was a whole lot of great music released in 2019, but J.S. Ondara I feel I'm always educating myself on what this country is what it has been and perhaps what it can be." J.S Ondara's debut album is Tales of America A decade ago, J.S. Ondara was just a kid from Nairobi, Kenya, obsessed with American artists like Nirvana, Neil Young and Bob Dylan before he could even understand their lyrics the self-taught musician has just released his debut album Tales of America — an examination of this country and the American dream from a newcomer's perspective the musician says he still sometimes feels like an outsider partially because "America is such a dynamic place and things change every day what it has been and perhaps what it can be." Ondara spoke with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about crafting his debut the importance of storytelling in his music and more I speak about the American dream in the record as something that's a bit elusive [I'm] trying to live out my life in a way that perhaps offers some sort of optimism on it It's one of the best ideas our civilization has come up with you can make a living doing things you don't absolutely hate and you can do the things you want It's an excellent idea that I'm very fond of On whether or not the American dream is intact I think there's definitely reasons to be concerned My experiences and my journey so far as a testament to what the American dream is — having moved here and just gotten this path out of nothing making this record and having this conversation with you — I think there's something to be said about that But [I'm] also being conscious of the fact that the country is going through some things and that notion Just the relationships between the police and black people and what that entails and how I suppose that affects me — I'm perhaps looking at these experiences from a completely different perspective Once I've put these words down and I'm talking about them to people — revisiting them or singing them over and over again — their meanings gradually bring themselves to life. That's what happened with previous songs like "Saying Goodbye": I wrote that five years ago when I moved to the States But I've sung it quite a lot now and talked about it [and] I feel I know what my subconscious mind is drawing from That's happened to a few different songs here and there Tales Of America is out now via Verve Forecast Records It’s not hard to imagine what kinds of songs Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie would be singing in 2020 as our world is engulfed by not just a deadly virus the task falls to the current crop of social justice-minded folkies a number of whom have released tracks here and there with one surprise-dropping a whole album of them landing in Minneapolis and releasing his acclaimed debut taking more than 20 tries to properly capture his perspective on “American Dream.” With Folk N’ Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation he’s making less of a political statement and more of an historical document as evidenced in “Pyramid Justice.” In song after song he highlights the human experience of the global pandemic: He notes that there’s no savior coming to rescue the working class that was so suddenly severed from their livelihoods when they were “Pulled Out of the Market” and he details the desperation and difficulty of wanting and maintaining emotional intimacy “From Six Feet Away.” On others he bears witness to his own tortured mind in these particular times The record was written and recorded in one week it’s good to see artists laying down their accounts on the permanent record in real time because there’s certainly no lack of important topics to address but bigotry and inequality never take a break Folk N’ Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation is available HERE. In light of the recent problems experienced with the growing number of houses used for tourist accommodation Ondara Town Council feel they need to take action they intend to put forward a proposal at the next plenary session requesting agreement to suspend the issuance of tourist housing permits for one year there are 22 licenced tourist homes within the urban centre of Ondara and 25 more on rustic land The Council believes that these homes are detrimental to young people who are struggling to find affordable housing They liken this situation to the one that is also being experienced in Denia and Javea they believe measures must be taken to regulate tourist accommodation before the problem becomes more significant To allow sufficient time to study the current situation properly they propose to suspend tourist housing permits as a precautionary measure This suspension will also cover licences for renovation or rehabilitation works of properties being used for this purpose The territorial scope of application will be all the urban land delimited in the current General Plan of Urban Planning of Ondara Find more local news, activities, and profile interviews. Alternatively, check out our online newspaper for your weekly local news fix! From In 2013, Ondara got a green card Ondara — examined the United States from an outsider's perspective through his music in 2019 to great praise and even earning a Grammy nomination for best Americana album After an exciting year of touring with bands like The Lumineers Ondara was planning a second album — but not quite like this Folk n' Roll Vol 1: Tales from Isolation was not what he had planned It was written and recorded entirely during the pandemic shutdown — but before the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd – and touches on many of the anxieties and experiences he and many others experienced during that time Ondara joins me to talk about the album and to give his perspective on where America is today We begin with "Lockdown on Date Night Tuesday" from Folk n' Roll Vol 1: Tales from Isolation Ondara's most prized possession was a tiny battery-powered radio.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR")GUNS N' ROSES: (Singing) Knock knocking on heaven's door.KELLY: He loved listening to bands like Guns N' Roses He considered himself something of a rock expert Then he lost a bet about this very song "Knockin' On Heaven's Door."(SOUNDBITE OF GUN N' ROSES SONG "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVENS DOOR")J.S ONDARA: I remember it so vividly I'm just having this very spirited debate it's actually by this guy called Bob Dylan I've been listening to this since I was a kid I know it's a Guns N' Roses song.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR")BOB DYLAN: (Singing) I feel I'm knocking on heaven's door.KELLY: He ended up falling in love with Bob Dylan and American folk music That's where I started when I recently spoke to J.S Ondara about his new album "Tales Of America."(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "AMERICAN DREAM")ONDARA: (Singing) It was just an American dream this must have been quite the turning point for you because you ended up coming to the U.S in 2013.ONDARA: Right.KELLY: You settled in Minnesota which you picked because that's where Bob Dylan's from.ONDARA: Right I had all these stories and poems that I was writing your voice is sort of pleasing in a way.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "AMERICAN DREAM")ONDARA: (Singing) But there's a beast on the clock She won't let you get any close.I love to write wait; so I could perhaps take all these words I've been writing And so then I quickly realized as well I cannot do it from where I was settling to Minnesota where he was from.KELLY: You say this whole album is an examination of the American dream from an outsider's perspective.ONDARA: Right.KELLY: Do you still feel like an outsider after six years in the U.S.?ONDARA: Yeah I feel I still am learning new things about America every day.KELLY: Like what?ONDARA: About issues that are tied to just the relationships between police and black people and what that entails and how that affects me as someone who doesn't necessarily - is from here And so I'm perhaps looking at these experiences from a completely different perspective and educating myself on what the history of the country is because I think that adds a different perspective with how you interpret experiences if you lack the context of history.KELLY: Yeah.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "GOD BLESS AMERICA")ONDARA: (Singing) Will you let me in Will you be sincere?KELLY: Do you think the American Dream is intact I'm asking in the context of the current debate over immigration and the border.ONDARA: I think there's definitely reasons to be concerned my journey so far is a testament to what the American dream is - you know having moved here just - and gotten this path just out of nothing and being here where I'm making this record and having this conversation with you So I think there's something to be said about that - but also being conscious of the fact that the country is going through some things and that notion - that very great idea can be lost.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG the heartache of mine.KELLY: One song to ask you about - Lebanon which is about love and taking risks and that life is short.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG love.KELLY: Those words right there...(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "LEBANON")ONDARA: (Singing) I'm ready now.KELLY: ...Begins "LEBANON")ONDARA: (Singing) Can't you see this riot inside of my veins?KELLY: Can't you see this riot inside my veins What are you writing about?ONDARA: I have no clue.(LAUGHTER)KELLY: Well you're honest.ONDARA: I have absolutely no clue And sometimes I think what happens is over time once I've put some kind of melody over these words...KELLY: But I'm going to challenge you here because you told me you're a storyteller.ONDARA: Right.KELLY: So what's the story?ONDARA: The story is taking shape gradually I think it's - what happens most of the time is once I've put these words down - and I'm talking about them to people or maybe I'm singing them over and over again - their meanings gradually bring themselves to life.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG I'll go wherever you go.That's happened in a few different songs here and there - where I sort of figure them out over time.KELLY: I guess that's one way of thinking about it - is that your songs can mean a different story to the different people listening They can impose their own stories on them.ONDARA: And I'd prefer if they do because I'm very fond of stories it's the only way you can teach a kid anything And so I will write down some kind of story but I would love for it to mean something different for someone else If it's the same thing - if it's just something that ties us together as people going through the human experience together But I don't impose what they mean to other people - not even to me thank you.ONDARA: Thank you.KELLY: His new album is "Tales Of America."(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "SAYING GOODBYE")ONDARA: (Singing) Bitterness.. Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information Grammy-nominated musician Ondara dives into his creative process and how “creation vomit” led him to his new album Poetry, music, dance, and creative writing. If one thing is for sure about Minnesota-based artist Ondara it’s that he dabbles in a bit of everything September marked the arrival of his new album with a preview of the record’s folk-rooted songs “An Alien in Minneapolis,” “A Prophet of Doom,” and “A Nocturnal Heresy’s,” preceding the release with music videos in July Ondara’s mesmerizing sounds—from his distinct accent to his easy hearted and hard-hitting lyrics—pair with a mysterious face-covered character that walks listeners through the stories told in the new album Just days after his album release party in New York City Ondara sat down to walk us through a little bit of everything—his album and the character paired with his new music is that it’s an attempt at simplifying things for people I believe a more subconscious thing happening may be that it’s a sort of process of evolution that has been a part of my life until this moment That’s an interesting path to follow as an artist Would you say that compared to when you released Tales of America in 2019 have you as an artist evolved into this new album Much of what I’m trying to do with this new record is there is a sort of deliberate partition of where the art is and where the artist is That’s why I’m not on the cover of the record this time And I created this character called the “Spanish Villager,” who is sort of my de facto public figure and I’m trying to create this demarcation between art and artist I’m trying to create some space for me to grow as an individual spiritually but also have this other entity that can also grow in itself as a commodity Because I was having a hard time reconciling who I was as me and who I was as an artist I couldn’t figure it out and it was getting very unhealthy mentally part of what the aesthetic of this presentation is to preserve my mental health by creating this demarcation between “this is the art The growth of the Spanish Villager that has begun now they’re both extremely minimal—either a spotlight or just an all-black or all-white background with the focus on this newspaper-suit red-face character that barely shows his face to the camera What message are you trying to send through the Spanish Villager I don’t know if there’s a very conscious message that I’m particularly trying to convey I didn’t want to create the Spanish Villager I had something very cool going on and I didn’t want to do this This character came out of me in a very tyrannical fashion where my entire body needed to create against my will When I retrospectively try to intellectualize some of the things I was going through while my body was like we need to create this character.” You know I think about some of the conflicts I was going through at that time this sort of cognitive dissonance of being in the search of an experiment that is actively being invalidated by an entire cultural narrative I think that put me in a very destabilizing state of mind I think it’s like if you say you rearrange your entire life to move to Kenya to hunt and you arrive there and come to find that hunting is now illegal You’d at least have some sort of spiritual crisis And I was also wrestling with my career growing very radically and trying to figure out who I was as this public figure that people admire I was asking myself “Where am I in this image of a famous person?” And that was also some kind of crisis and I was feeling the need to mature as a person to mature as a celebrity and as a commodity that was a different kind of cognitive dissonance because the process of maturation as a human requires you to optimize yourself for spirituality and integration and whatnot And the process of maturation as a product requires you to optimize yourself for profit it’s ultimately difficult to sell for spirituality and for profit concurrently I think my body was expressing all of the things at the same time and the solution I came up with is to dissociate Because I came to a place where I realized that I couldn’t handle all of those things my body created something else that helped me deal with everything I had been going through my body created the Spanish Villager who ended up solving several problems He solved the problem of determining who I am as a public figure by creating some kind of demarcation between me as a person and me as an artist And he also became some sort of repository for my anxieties about my journey in America He’s become the place where all of my anxieties have been held I was too heavy to proceed with my life and my career I think the reason why the process of his creation felt tyrannical was because my body just knew it needed to create this release in a character for me to continue to exist even though I didn’t know that at the time Listening to Spanish Villager N:3 feels extremely personal and with the Spanish Villager representing that for you it feels almost like looking into your own life From feeling outside of yourself in a new environment to political affiliations and mistrust in the government can you walk me through some of the major themes in your new record there’s a certain fear of a potential and of an empire I think it’s probably more clear in songs like “A Prophet of Doom,” “Suspicious Deliverance,” and maybe “A Witch and A Saint” as well There’s sort of this looming fear of “Did I move to the empire when the empire is about to end?” What does that mean that’s certainly something that’s present in the record I think the other thing that I was wrestling with while making the record was my place in America at the moment and being an immigrant who rearranged their life entirely to move to this country because I believed in the promise of this country And also existing at a time when there is a sort of cultural decree that the same experiment that I came to validate is fundamentally invalid sort of destabilizing dissonance  that comes with that and I think that comes out in a way in the record You seem to be an extremely multifaceted artist and now are incorporating dance and writing into your new album do you focus more on the end result and what you want to release to the world It’s more like the conversations I have with my muse are kind of on a need-to-know basis and she says “You don’t need to know that now because you can’t handle it.” So it’s very much a one step at a time process I didn’t really know I was creating the character I was just following this subconscious instance It’s almost like walking in the dark until I find out what I was doing all along I noticed that there are four or five songs—“A Blackout in Paris,” “A Seminar in Tokyo,” “A Shakedown in Berlin,” “A Drowning in Mexico City,” and “An Alien in Minneapolis”—in a row that include cities in their titles I wish I had a satisfactory answer for that question And I think I probably will in a few months once I’m going back to the subconscious nature of my process where I’m doing things and figuring out in the future why I did them as I did them I think that’s just how those songs happened to come out I did retroactively create a narrative around the Spanish Villager in the form of a graphic novel and some of the scenes in the graphic novel are based in those cities – Minneapolis that wasn’t a very conscious thing that I was trying to do I was just following cues from the subconscious Because the subconscious plays such a large role for you as a creative would you say that in your creative process your inspiration comes in in random bursts Or do you have specific muses that help you create it’s like I’ll wake up one day and write the entire day and I won’t stop for 11 hours straight It’s the sort of moment where you can’t stop; you just start and you keep going and you can’t stop the more your subconscious won’t allow you to stop at some point – I apologize because this analogy might be somewhat unsavory – I start looking through the vomit and I’ll find something interesting Do you have any specific memories of having one of those moments when writing for Spanish Villager N:3 “A Blackout in Paris,” I love playing shows in Paris I had to play about 20 minutes of my set in just complete darkness Which was actually very cool and it was very intimate and the crowd helped me sing songs but I tried it out with the crowd and they helped me figure it out If you were talking to someone who was interested in listening to Spanish Villager N:3 but needed reassurance on why they should listen to it I might ask them if they would like to find themselves by losing themselves first If that sounded like an interesting journey this album would be the first place to start this record for me has been a process of finding myself by losing myself It’s been the most difficult thing I’ve had to do And I think anyone who’s interested in spiritual growth Key Enterprises LLC is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for mspmag.com for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards Ondara's journey to the Tiny Desk is a fascinating one he listened on his sister's radio to American artists after playing his song "Lebanon," from his debut album Tales of America someone told me about this contest that you guys do called 'the Tiny Desk Contest.' And I was 'Lebanon.' So I made a video of me playing that song And I suppose that things didn't go quite in my favor So I figured I'd find a bit of a roundabout way to get here which involved making a record and touring it relentlessly and stalking Bob [Boilen] all around South by Southwest (I actually didn't do that part.) I was thinking about it The journey would have been a lot shorter had I just won the bloody contest with observations about America that are fresh and poetic Here's how he compares the politics of our time waiting on a planeThere is a cow at the funeral bidding farewellThere is a goat at the terminal boarding the C-trainThere is a horse at the hospital from the universitySomebody call upon the witch and the wizardrySomebody call the rabbi the pastor and the sheikhCoz we are coming on the days of insanityThe days of insanity." now this Kenya-born singer is up for a Grammy award for Best Americana Album Maia Stern; Creative director: Bob Boilen; Audio engineer: Josh Rogosin; Editor: Jack Corbett; Videographers: Maia Stern Jack Corbett; Associate producer: Bobby Carter; Executive producer: Lauren Onkey; VP programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Catie Dull Ondara won the US visa lottery five years ago he swapped Nairobi for Minneapolis because of his love for Bob Dylan Ondara is a little cagey when it comes to his initials “J.S.” those initials have sort of morphed into very many different things over time,” Ondara it’s usually just whatever you want it to be.” He won the US State Department’s green card lottery in 2013 for residency in the United States His story begins in Kenya with a dream of coming to the US Related: This Kenyan musician followed his love for Dylan to a new life and career Ondara’s album “Tales of America (The Second Coming)” has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Americana Album category — one of those categories you probably won’t see awarded in the TV broadcast (but The World will keep you updated if he wins) He spoke with The World’s host Marco Werman about his Grammy-nominated album and how American immigration policies have shaped his sound I had spent a couple of years trying to find a way to get here I just felt this very powerful calling to do it and I could not ignore it the green card thing happened just out of chance being here and seeing the growing intolerance towards immigration and knowing relatives and family and other people in my circles who perhaps haven’t been as fortunate as I have been to have this green card a lot of those issues are quite present in my mind I think I was being mostly empathetic with a lot of people who I knew who are still trying to make their way with extreme difficulty — in some ways struggling with my fortune and their misfortune I could almost in some bizarre way foresee that kind of answer from the president while I was writing that I could see that was the narrative that the administration was trying to propagate I love David Bowie a lot and it felt like a very poignant song cover to add to [the] record with regard to the times we’re [in] at the moment And I think that the perspective that people have of America right now internationally is this feeling of fear of some sort about America that’s I think that’s where my head was at when I was trying to put that in the record I think all Americans ought to remember that this country was started by immigrants put itself up as a beacon of sorts that’s leading civilization or something We should be more conscious about how we are going about doing that This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity delivered to your inbox every weekday morning Thanks to our sponsor PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. singer-songwriter Ondara has always had a knack for capturing audiences with his colorful storytelling the songs follow a traveler from Minneapolis to Tokyo then all the way to Mexico City and adventure that definitely reflect some of Ondara's own personal story Watch as the singer strips down three songs off the album in the Indie Lounge Production Assistant and Digital Producer / Demi Harvey Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy the myth — of the American dream is something that reverberates the world over Though the specific details are likely different for everyone the overarching vision is certainly the same surely it’s not a far-fetched notion to think that each of us can work hard enough to do well enough to live happily enough Well… that has never been true for all of us and is not now true for many of us Tales of America is a fairly straightforward folk-rock record — comparisons to Tracy Chapman’s debut are not unwarranted — with just enough other-worldly flourishes to signal that Ondara’s story isn’t a fairly straightforward folk-hero story Those touches also point to the fact that folk music has roots the world over Ondara’s vocal timbre and accent clearly convey that he is more than just another guy from small town America offering an outside-looking-in perspective on just what this country is Tales of America is available at iTunes and Amazon.com. The video begins nightmarishly enough: a police officer with a rifle holds a dog on a leash, there are three people with paper-bagged masks over their heads, our main character under the covers, the famous Bob Dylan line from "The Times They Are a-Changin'" ("Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command") scribbled on paper Kenya via Minnesota sings atop a sliding bass line: "It was just an American dream." The song and the video seem to deal with the past It's a glimpse of America through the main character's delusional vision of life He goes about his day to day with no clear understanding of what is real and what is not — though he does seem to have a mission in mind Ondara tells NPR Music that "the video follows a man as he sets upon a journey to purchase a weapon we get a glimpse of the world around him through his eyes which gives us some insight into his state of mind the video explores the turbulent times in the country thereby throwing a shade of irony to the popular notion of 'The American Dream.'" The song is inspired by his love of rock music, learning English not only in school but through tunes by Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Neil Young and Bob Dylan Ondara's debut album Tales of America coming in February of 2019 he stumbled upon Bob Dylan -- and his life’s ambitions ‘Tales of America.’ NewsHour Producer Frank Carlson met up with him from his tour in Washington to discuss how he hopes to “breathe life” into the American dream Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy and is out with his first album this spring We caught up with him as he kicked off a tour at the Songbyrd Cafe here in Washington It's part of our ongoing arts and culture series I knew that I wanted to be a folk singer when I was about 17 years old and discovered folk music through Bob Dylan I had grown up listening to all these rock songs And I was familiar with this song "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," and I was quite confident it was a Guns N' Roses song I'm having this huge fight with a friend about it it's actually by this person called Bob Dylan I discovered Dylan and fell into this rabbit hole of folk music and I found folk music and made this conscious goal to move to America and try to find a career as a folk singer I tried everything to try to make that happen I came to America through the green card lottery You can settle in the country and have a life there it randomly felt as though it was some kind of manifestation of destiny "Tales of America," contemplating about the times that we are in contemplating about how I fit as an immigrant in the times in America What does it mean for someone who's not in America and how does that contrast to the actual experience of being a resident in America to breathe life to the idea of the American dream because perhaps it's something that people are losing faith in that through my life and through the tales but I think for just all — people all around the world reminding us again that music reaches all the way around the world Frank Carlson is the Senior Coordinating Producer for America at a Crossroads He's been making video at the NewsHour since 2010 © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Ondara won a national poetry competition in Kenya you’re watching Neil Young videos at a cybercafé in Nairobi you’re opening for Neil Young at a historic 3,000 seat theater in Washington The human brain doesn’t seem equipped to comprehend how circumstances carried you from one moment to the next it’s not,” agrees the traveling singer-songwriter J.S Ondara—he prefers the term “troubadour”—a few days after that concert bill It was barely six years ago that the then-20-year-old won a green card lottery enabling him to fly to Minnesota and move in with his aunt in Maple Grove It was barely five years ago that he was able to save up enough money from temp jobs to buy his first performance guitar This startling and steep ascent through the music industry doesn’t make a whole lot of sense “So I don’t think about it too much,” Ondara says We’re sharing a plate of chicken and spicy beef tibs at his favorite East African restaurant Ondara’s slender fingers envelop pieces of meat in shreds of spongy injera bread as if they’re flying down a fretboard He says the flat bread in Nairobi—a Kenyan cousin of Indian chapati and East African injera—is slightly different from this But the meal in front of us “tastes like home,” he says with its melancholy and irresistible hint of androgyny It’s like listening to Tracy Chapman backed by The Lumineers He can hook an unsuspecting listener with simple I’m just getting good at saying goodbye.”  It was Ondara’s voice that first attracted a fanatical following on SoundCloud and YouTube And the voice eventually won him meetings with record executives in LA and New York But it was Ondara’s somewhat stubborn belief in his personal journey and his own talent that got him the rest of the way He had to turn down a dozen suits thirsty to put that voice on pop or EDM records before he landed on Verve he found a label comfortable with showcasing the old-fashioned sound he wanted Verve put him in the studio where Pet Sounds was recorded And it paired him with a producer who had worked with Ryan Adams and Jenny Lewis and a studio band that counted Andrew Bird among its members Another thing that’s old-fashioned about Ondara His confidence that touring is the way he’ll expand his audience it’s not even the album or a song that they’re passing around It’s his story:  the seemingly mythic account of how a kid from Kenya came to Minnesota to follow the musical legacy of Bob Dylan There are inevitable traces of where he’s from “Some aspects of my music might sound African just because I’m from Africa,” he says “Not because I was influenced by African music The narrative of that journey carried  him to stages in Des Moines And it’s about to take him to his debut at the Newport Folk Festival (a Dylan pilgrimage if ever there were one) until he returns to headline the Mainroom at First Avenue in December Ondara wears a Tales of America pin on the lapel of his vintage plaid Woolworth sport coat shaded by the brim of what’s fast becoming his trademark fedora probably,” where he’s spending more and more of his time playing shows Ondara goes wherever there’s a stage and a spotlight Ondara seems incredibly polished and self-possessed for somebody who was playing open mics at Plums Bar and Grill He developed his musical craft here in Minnesota (He originally played around as “Jay Smart”; he won’t reveal his government name “‘J.S.’ has meant a lot of things over time,” he says But Ondara began crafting this persona back in Kenya Ondara was a performer before he discovered music After sneaking into a French class at age 15 climbing the ladder from local competitions to district to province He won a prestigious national competition with his dramatic recitation of  “Le Coq du Village”—loosely translated the cock of the walk—at The Kenya Music Festival too: a dandyism that recalls the styles worn by Delta bluesmen in the 1920s and ’30s He wears closely tailored suits in richly textured fabrics He got his first of these from his grandfather a farmer who lived in the Kisii tribal area After winning the poetry-recitation competition Ondara began writing his own verse in earnest but the questions were directed at himself “And because I was a curious kid without an internet connection who needed answers about the world,” Ondara says He learned to sing by listening to Jeff Buckley on bootlegged mix CDs Vendors would hawk random mix CDs for a buck or two Ondara admits he was a weird loner of a teenager with a family that oscillated between not understanding or straight up worrying about his devotion to writing blank verse He had older sisters who were into rock and roll They loved Death Cab and Radiohead and Oasis But pretty quickly he gravitated toward older stuff Ondara’s self-mythology takes a particularly mythic turn after losing a bet to a rich kid with a better internet connection Ondara argued that one of his favorite songs “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was written by Guns N’ Roses “Now it wouldn’t even be a thing,” Ondara says “you would fight over it for months until someone had some money to visit the internet café and be like ‘Oh I guess I was wrong—sorry I punched you that one time.’”  landing on 1963’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan “And I remember sitting in the internet café and being like How come no one ever taught me about this?” that led him to fixate on moving to Minnesota It probably didn’t hurt that his aunt already lived in Minnesota; that Kenyans represent the fourth-largest group of African immigrants in the state numbering more than 10,000; and that 60 percent of them originate from Ondara’s ethnic region the rambling Okie hobo actually born to Jewish shopkeepers in Duluth Ondara seems to possess an instinctive sense which story sounds better Winning the green card lottery got Ondara closer to his dream But he also discovered that after sending $200 home every month Another artistic setback: All those notebooks that he’d filled up with poems and would-be songs got lost in transit and in time it earned him his first break: an invitation to perform for the Current’s birthday party in 2017 His success playing in Minnesota and sharing it on the internet led to the record deal with Verve and that deal got him a deal with a booking company and that landed him an opening slot for Neil Young He credits the lack of industry pressure here with his opportunity for growth Now he’s splitting his diminishing downtime between LA hanging with a community of musicians (such as Anderson East) that he’s met through his touring and recording he still maintains his apartment in the Twin Cities He went on a three-mile run around his neighborhood this morning—“It’s in the genes,” he says Ondara says Minnesota will always be a home to him (if not his actual home) “It’s been the perfect in-between place,” he says I wouldn’t be the person I am or the artist I am.”  Ondara asks our server for a to-go box to take home the rest of the beef tibs He plans on watching Scorsese’s new Dylan doc on Netflix tonight He says he wishes he’d been born in a different time that maybe he would’ve felt even more like himself in the shaggy ’70s of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder era He’s looking to go even deeper into the past hopefully to find—or invent—the best version of himself yet Steve Marsh is a senior writer at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page His name is J.S. Ondara and his sound alone is extraordinary When he came into the World Cafe Performance Studio pretty much the whole staff gathered to witness his performance and was mesmerized behind the glass Kenya where he was madly in love with the American and British rock music he'd hear on the radio He had big dreams to become a musician in the U.S. he has a debut full length album called Tales Of America a live performance of "Torch Song." Hear it all in the player American folk music truly has a global audience, and J.S. Ondara is proof. This young singer-songwriter is from Kenya, and in a relentless pursuit of the music he loves, Ondara moved to Minnesota in 2013 to be close to Bob Dylan’s roots and to get a taste of what shaped America’s finest folk singer. (Read the BGS interview.) Ondara has been making a name for himself across the country earning himself a recording agreement with Verve Label Group and a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2019 Americana Honors & Awards Performing “Lebanon” from his 2019 album Tales of America Ondara on CBS This Morning‘s Saturday Sessions Photo courtesy of Tell All Your Friends PR listening to music on his sisters’ battery-powered radio and learning to sing without any instruments available to play At age 20 (2013) he won a green card lottery and moved to Minnesota since that’s where his hero Bob Dylan was from After a few years of learning guitar and playing cafes and other small venues he was discovered by the local public radio station and was eventually able to record his first album Ondara had written more than 100 songs for it, all based on an immigrant's life in America and his tour takes him to the Asheville Masonic Temple on Wednesday the 20th Nairobian Singer-Songwriter JS Ondara expresses how the American dream “is different from the reality” singer-songwriter JS Ondara admits that he didn’t know too much about American society “I saw some films but they are not necessarily accurate representations of this whole thing they are approximations,” he tells uDiscover Music upon the release of his impressive debut album I was ignorant about the West until I arrived here.” The 26-year-old had an immediate and chilly awakening when he landed in Minneapolis “It was as shocking as you can imagine when I first stepped off the plane because no one ever told me how cold it really is in Minnesota,” he says “There is no way to conceptualise that cold There should be a specific word for that kind of minus-20-degrees weather I certainly didn’t have the appropriate garments and quickly had to get some new clothes.” Listen to Tales Of America right now Ondara started out living with an aunt as he looked to carve out a new life in the home state of his favourite musician, Bob Dylan After an unhappy spell studying music therapy – “That whole course was a dark moment I am not sure what I got out of it,” he admits – a friend took him to see a concert by Noah Gundersen and it changed his life “I had this spiritual experience at that show and was so moved I knew making music was what I wanted to do He had been writing stories since he was a child back in eastern Africa and had already started writing songs “I was very interested in storytelling as a kid,” Ondara says “I just had this fascination with the universe and was trying to figure out how the world functioned The answers I was getting were not satisfactory so I started writing stories to answer my own questions about the universe This general curiosity sparked my interest in writing.” By the time he landed a recording contract Ondara had a very specific vision of the sort of album he wanted Tales Of America to be “Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan were the two albums I had in my head when I went into the studio to make my record,” he explains very focused on acoustic guitar and the stories being told.” Rolling Stone magazine has already hailed Ondara as “an invigorating new voice in American folk music” and his thought-provoking and sometimes stark stories are delivered in a rich tenor that is also capable of delightful falsetto quivers Grammy-winning producer Mike Viola – who has worked with talented singer-songwriters such as Teddy Thompson and Lori McKenna – helps bring out the best in catchy tracks such as ‘Saying Goodbye’ who started out performing under the name Jay Smart “People have said they find my voice pleasing but no one ever told me that when I was growing up and I wasn’t aware of it,” he adds “I still love writing stories but when I started singing professionally my voice became a tool to tell all the stories that I had written.” He enjoyed putting Tales Of America together keeping to the vision that I had of playing folk songs in their rawest form,” Ondara says We had crossed paths with some of the musicians before and Mike Viola knew some who were a good fit for what we were trying to do I think it was very important for me to find musicians who themselves were accomplished songwriters and who understood what I wanted my songs to do.” In an article for The Minneapolis Institute Of Art Ondara wrote about some of the things in 21st-century America (“where facts are relative and divisive politics are the norm”) that had driven his narratives What does he make of life for young people nowadays “Being in your 20s and trying to find the wisdom to make the right decisions and to find your place in the world and what your responsibilities are for yourself and for the society around you “But it’s important to find what you can do to improve the society in which you live It is definitely an interesting time to be young.” Ondara deals with his thoughts on a women’s protest march to the Minnesota state capitol He believes it shows that more women are feeling empowered to speak about their experiences and seek representation in government “Songs are ways in which society can reflect on itself and see where we are going wrong and get to think about our own folly Art is a mirror in which society can view itself and once you can see yourself then you can make the necessary amendments and grow We have grown as a civilisation over centuries using stories and we can still do that That is the part I am trying to play in this time.” Ondara continues: “There is a lot of noise around us but we need to reflect on what the noise is and perhaps find some light There are lots of heavy issues and I understand also a need for distraction and that people want enjoyment Striking a balance between a need for distraction and not wanting to run from big issues was one of the challenges of Tales Of America.” ‘God Bless America’ and ‘American Dream’ reflect on the gap between the promise and reality of the 21st-century US but how different is Ondara’s new home to the one in which he grew up “There are differences and similarities between America and Kenya,” Ondara says “The more I look into it the more I see some parallels what people can call ‘corruption’ back home and condemn fervently is what would just be called ‘lobbying’ in the States and is just something people do as normal There were protests in Paris recently and the UK is going through a period of separation from the EU art is one of the things that we can use to reflect on that and find ways to sort ourselves out.” Though Dylan is perhaps Ondara’s main inspiration – he sometimes sings his favourite song, ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’, in concerts – Tales Of America has also been influenced by Beck, Neil Young and Ray Lamontagne He is also a big fan of Jason Isbell’s album The Nashville Sound and how the country musician deals with thorny subjects such as racial equality especially in the powerful song ‘White Man’s World’ “Sometimes artists like Isbell take on the responsibility to voice the concerns of the age,” Ondara says on stark songs of yearning such as ‘Torch Song’ and ‘Television Girl’ are potent and provide a way of “expressing what I felt as an outsider and how the vision and dream about what you thought America would be is different from the reality once you have landed” He grew up in Nairobi as a football-mad youngster following his family in supporting Manchester United (“Oh man,” he exclaims when I inform him about the recent sacking of manager Jose Mourinho) I will still call it football because that is what it is called,” he says with a laugh “I grew up playing it every day throughout my childhood that is what we did every day after school I even did some coaching of my high-school team.” though he admits he sometimes gets nervous performing so every time I am up there I am a complete wreck,” he says with a laugh something evident in the visually striking black-and-white videos for his songs that he personally curated “Part of what I am trying to do in telling my stories in a very stripped-down fashion is going back to the roots of being a troubadour just being a guy with a guitar playing songs I think everything about that vision is exemplified in my fashion and how I carry myself,” he says and Tales Of America offers a challenging perspective on what is going on in the land of Trump “People ask me all the time what I think of the President and maybe that is because of the record that I made,” Ondara says “America is going through an interesting time but the country has been through worse things I feel optimistic that America will get through this moment Tales Of America is out now and can be bought here I would be honored if he would give me the chance to let me share my soul with him Today, January 8, the Marina Alta is filled with excitement and fun with the opening of the new Casino Mediterráneo Ondara. This new and modern casino is located in the center of the region, in the commercial area of Portal de la Marina to offer a total leisure and entertainment experience this casino is governed as one of the greatest attractions in the area where you can enjoy a restaurant offer at the new Azar Ondara Restaurant Among other great services offered by this leisure center the art and culture exhibitions that will change each season in addition to having the exciting poker tournaments and a varied selection of slot machines and gaming tables for every taste It should be noted that the building has been designed by architect Manuel González Méndez who stands out for his striking proposal in form The huge canopy and lighting at the entrance access are distinctive features of this casino which follows the line of elegance and distinction of other casinos of the Acrismatic Group in Alicante This casino has brought with it great job opportunities as well as maintenance and security personnel Casino Mediterráneo Ondara is the fourth establishment of Grupo Acrismatic in the province of Alicante joining the expansion of the group and that will continue with the construction of the Villajoyosam Mediterranean Casino which will open its doors throughout this year This new milestone consolidates Grupo Acrismatic as benchmark in the gaming sector with a wide range of services that include casinos and the management of hospitality establishments Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Communication Mitjà subsidized by the Generalitat Valenciana Customize your consent preferences for cookie categories and advertising tracking preferences for the purposes and features and vendors below You can give your consent individually for each cookie category third party provider y Google advertising technology providerMost providers require explicit consent for processing personal data you have the right to object to their use of legitimate interest 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presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content has reached its intended audience and matched their interests how much time you have spent on those services and on the websites you have visited This is very useful for understanding the relevance of the (non-advertising) content shown to you Information about your activity on this service such as your interaction with advertisements or content can be very useful for improving products and services as well as creating new ones based on user interactions This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers Content presented on this service may be based on limited data such as the website or application you are using or content you are interacting with (or have interacted with) (for example to limit the number of times you are presented with a particular video or article) Your data may be used to monitor and prevent unusual and potentially fraudulent activity (for example as well as to ensure that systems and processes operate correctly and securely it can be used to correct any problems that you the publisher/media outlet or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads The decisions you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to these entities in the form of digital signals (for example This is necessary to allow both this service and the entities to respect these preferences Your device may be distinguished from others based on the information it automatically sends when you access the Internet (for example the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes set out in this document your exact location (within a radius of less than 500 meters) may be used to support the purposes explained in this document Ondara’s journey from Nairobi to Minnesota He arrived in America without any connections in the music business or even a guitar; all he had was his dream of pursuing a life in music was released to critical acclaim earlier this year Its theme of the ‘American Dream’ and the conflict between the ideal and the reality is brilliantly realised thanks to Ondara’s beautifully delicate vocal sparse instrumentation and intelligent lyrics offering a timely commentary on modern America through the eyes of an outsider Ondara took the time to speak to Andrew Frolish of Americana UK before taking to the stage in Bristol during his recent tour Track Premiere : Joanie & Matt “The One Above” Rich Hopkins and Luminarios “Back to the Garden” (Blue Rose Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you enjoy what you're reading and don't want to support us on a monthly basis you can help us keep this site free from looking like one of those awful REACH sites by making a one off donation towards our running costs Be daring, be yourself, be willing to take risks and stand alone. Vanessa Collier’s music is gritty, raw, and at times, either downright sad or bubbling happy. As with most songwriters worth their salt, her songs […] “All of a sudden, time stood still, and we watched our plans and expectations float away like lost balloons.” For Angela Easterling, life began in South Carolina and, except for college years in Boston, has been […] Past, present and future are inseparable in her songs. There is an openness to Maya de Vitry that is refreshing to come by. Formerly in the Stray Birds, a bluegrass band, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-born musician is […] As always in these prescriptive articles there must be a drawing of boundaries and Clint’s first article in the series seemed to have dealt with the idea that you should define americana in a narrow sense […] Steve Earle announced his arrival in our lives with his debut album in 1986. Since then, he has racked up almost thirty studio and live albums under his own name or in collaboration with others. I […] I heard from a colleague,  who has contact with associates of Eric Taylor, that he had died on March 9th 2020 following a period of illness. I immediately checked the web for confirmation but there was […] Issue 243 Brady O’Callahan Feb 1 The American Dream probably means something different to each person you’d ask it’s working your way from bagging groceries to owning and operating a successful chain of supermarkets where he fell in love with American rock music Ondara decided to move to Dylan’s home state of Minnesota in 2013 in order to chase his dream of becoming a professional musician He brought with him a head full of songs and not much else He didn’t even know how to play an instrument Ondara is releasing his debut album Tales of America with little in the way of a musical nod to his Kenyan roots sparse percussion and occasional support from additional strings He’s is a self-taught singer and guitar player who’s made a point to avoiding training the songs on Tales of America are uncomplicated Ondara has no trouble creating fun and memorable melodies And he really shines at moments on this record “Days of Insanity” finds the singer navigating the wild state of the world These uneasy sentiments ride over a driving acoustic guitar strum Frantic strings creep in from the distance before disappearing and relinquishing control to the rhythm once more “Lebanon” hearkens to the call and response cadence of American spirituals without losing Ondara’s sense of self “Give Me a Moment” is a gorgeous heartbreaker Ondara is able to paint an ultra-personal picture of unrequited love in the span of a single line: “It’s not enough to tell your friends we’re in love.” It’s a subject touched by almost every songwriter The crooner wears his influences on his sleeve sometimes to the point of seeming imitation “Master O’Connor” could easily slot into Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and feel at home Ondara effects Dylan’s vocal delivery and cadence so accurately that his own identity seems to disappear “Saying Goodbye” invokes Damien Rice’s emotional howl and again all I can seem to think of is how much I enjoy certain Rice songs “Don’t hold a torch to the sun,” but he’s guilty of just that here This isn’t to say that these songs aren’t pleasant or good they just keep the most interesting part of Ondara from us: his voice and story One of the most compelling songs is the title track where he treats listeners to his outsider’s take on the “American Dream.” The song pulses at a sort of paranoid pace with a dizzying fiddle hopping in to support a sense of uncertainty throughout The music video accompanying the song presents a man confused by what he sees in his own backyard: a black man arresting a police officer It’s a powerful reminder that dreams can often be delusions and that we need to temper our expectations with reality Yet our reality in America right now is troubled The video ends with the character entering a gun store “Who would dream of this America?” we must ask ourselves The American Dream is a promise more than anything concrete perhaps beauty still lingers in its potential Ondara represent a faith in what the dream might one day be Ondara is off to a great start and possesses an enormous amount of potential he achieves the freedom to grow and change Ondara says his family and the people he grew up around in Nairobi choosing his words carefully—the tone befitting a songwriter He fell in love at an early age with the music of Bob Dylan an emotion so deep that he entered a Green Card lottery and six years ago moved to Minnesota Kenya-born Ondara then set about teaching himself guitar contains sweet and austere musings on love The album has garnered him critical acclaim as well as a nomination for “Best Emerging Act” in the 2019 Americana Music Awards Ondara, who has North American tour dates booked through the beginning of November the craft of storytelling and his journey from Nairobi to Minneapolis The following has been edited for length and clarity You credit Dylan with having enormous influence on your artistic vision What was it about his music that struck you so deeply I had never heard music that was that raw “What?!” I was a bit baffled—the novelty of it I think the timing of it had a lot to do with it as well It’s just that thing that I found as a kid that I felt very attached to and that stuck with me Then you started writing songs in a bluesy folk vein—and without a guitar calm and poetic stories with simple melodies I can take the poems I write and put them in some kind of melody I could have some kind of career as a folk musician: I think I know what I want to do with my life I didn’t really know what to do to move forward What do you appreciate about the musical language of folk and Americana it fits the style of storytelling and poetry that I’m drawn to; I don’t know if there is a better medium for storytelling than folk music so finding a musical companion to that just felt natural what kinds of experiences are you communicating in your music Definitely a lot of the record is a reflection on the kind of times we’re having in the country making observations as an outsider—-like in “Days Of Insanity”—and put them in song Art in its best form is usually some sort of mirror of the society we submit observations and we put them across as art and then we can look at the observations and see ourselves and perhaps make changes that are necessary I was just trying to observe the times and put that in some sort of melody And how does your family feel about your music and life in the U.S. My family is still quite puzzled about what has become of my life They really don’t know what to make of it; they don’t know much about the kind of music I make I always liked words growing up and I liked songs and I was always pretty strange to everyone around me My life now is just sort of an extrapolation of how strange I was as a kid he’s there doing something; probably being weird.” Minnesota and Minneapolis at large ended up being a perfect incubator for my career I would like to keep for the entirety of my career your amazing fashion sense—it’s very striking I would find just the most bizarre thing I could find and wear that But my view on fashion is not too different from how I view music now: I try to take old ideas of fashion and integrate them in new ways that can exist in the current time “This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York “I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival Ethan Iverson performed as part of the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival in… we’re left with similarities,” Collier says “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.” DownBeat has a long association with the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference but it’s still kind of productive in a way because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing… About|Terms of Use|PrivacyCopyright © 2025 Maher Publications DownBeat is an internationally registered trademark of Maher Publications Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed an artist from Kenya who equates his dream of coming to the U.S and becoming a musician to that of a romance In the song "An Alien In Minneapolis," from his next album Spanish Villager No we hear some of the challenges of that romance J.S. Ondara's musical journey from Nairobi With Bob Dylan having a profound influence his songwriting is accomplished beyond his years Check out his arresting performance of "Saying Goodbye." ☜ Last Artist | Next Artist ☞ ☰ View The Entire List ♬ Stream The Austin 100 The Twin Cities received a double treat of solo/acoustic performers in May at the Pantages Theatre a British singer-songwriter who first burst onto the international scene with a series of powerful hits in 2000 that continues today who told his audience that he moved to Minnesota because this was where Bob Dylan came from Apparently Ondara has been on the Minneapolis music scene for a while but this concert was the first I had heard of him and his talent was a delightful surprise but each of his songs had a compelling voice with heart felt acoustic accompaniment Dylan’s influence was evident in Ondara’s lyrics and his voice He is a local talent definitely worth seeing in concert again Gray was in top form during his 2-hour concert.  Gray started out as a folk/rock writer singer in the early 1990s.  But he become known to me and countless others internationally with the 2000 re-release of his album White Ladder, which contains several of Gray’s biggest hits including “Babylon.” Gray’s acoustic performance was accompanied by loops of computer-generated music, a technique he often uses in his album to bring more complex layers to his songs.  Early on he sang my personal favorite, “The One I Want” from his 2006 album Life in Slow Motion The audience was rewarded with many of Gray’s hits including many of his bigger hits including “Be Mine” as well as his less known songs of “Alibi” and “Only the Wine.”  Gray’s performance of “Babylon,” both during the concert as well as part of his encore, brought the crowd to its feet.  Even without a band to accompany him, Gray gave a roaring rendition of the song “Nemesis” which ended with these words: The show’s lighting design was especially impressive with the use of red yellow and even green backgrounds throughout Gray’s concert giving the stage the recurring look of a work of art with clear words and multi-layered melodies without blasting out my eardrums