J.S Ondara is a 27-year-old US-based Kenyan singer-songwriter based in the US and has received a nomination in the 62nd Grammy Awards that will be held on January 26, 2020.
His debut Album TALES OF AMERICA which has a total of 11 songs was shortlisted under Best Africana Awards. The songs talk about the life of an immigrant and the pursuit of the American dream.
Ondara relocated to Minnesota, the US in 2013 after winning the US green card lottery. When he got there he learnt to play the guitar from scratch and secured a huge recording deal.
“When I think about my childhood, and where I’m from, the chances of this are so random that sometimes I lose words to try to explain what it’s like,” he said in an interview with US-based publication Rolling Stones.
His journey began in Nairobi when he first stumbled upon rock artists like Bob Dylan. He narrates how he would skip classes and spend all the bus fare given to him at the local internet cyber cafe instead.
“I’m a romantic in that same way. I just figured I’ll go to America, this random city. I’m going to follow where my heart wants me to go. And for me, it was Bob Dylan,” Ondara explained.
Winning the Green Card was only the beginning. Like all immigrants, he had to adjust to life abroad.
“But then I get to Minnesota, and it hits me very quickly that I don’t know anyone. Getting to America was impossible, but the path ahead of me, once I got there, felt even more impossible,” he recounted.
Although not known by a majority of Kenyans. He has made quite a name for himself. Some of the popular songs include the American Dream, “God Bless America” and “Saying Goodbye”.
His music has taken him around the world and is currently preparing to tour France from November 26, 2019.
