I discovered J.S. Ondara through a Rolling Stone review discussing his journey from Nairobi, Kenya, to (because of his love for Bob Dylan) Minnesota. At 20, he won a Green Card lottery at just 20, but struggled to find musicians to create a band upon arriving in the United States. So he decided to just teach himself the guitar online (grrrr at how easy he made this sound), back his own vocals, and start refining his sound at open mics in Minneapolis.
Ondara favors a troubadour look, commanding the stage with a stop-in-your-tracks voice and a trademark fedora. His debut album, "Tales of America," is a staggering combination of blues, folk, and Americana, weaving and soaring on his use of tenor and falsetto.
As good as this work is, his cover of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" served as the experience that moved me from interested listener to full-on fan. Another cover, Ondara's reworking of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," displays his creativity and intricacy, proving he's an artist that can go beyond classic covers to truly build his own version of someone else's song.
As a 26-year-old with minimal experience on the guitar, Ondara's most mature and intricate work clearly lies ahead of him. Considering the power of his debut, that's a remarkable statement about the potential and future of a unique musician.
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