J.S. Ondara Tales Of America (CD)

(Verve Forecast Recordings) 11 tracks, digisleeve

An African in search of the American dream: on his grandiose debut, singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara follows in the footsteps of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

The first thing that makes J.S. Ondara stand out from the crowd is his crystal clear, captivatingly bright voice. On second listen, the songs of the Nairobi-born artist, who now lives in Minneapolis, captivate you. They are unashamedly catchy and tell of the American dream with deep emotion and from an unusual perspective.

“When I came to America five years ago, I only had one thing on my mind: to make a record,” says J.S. Ondara. “I had no idea how to go about it, but I loved records so much. So I fought my way forward.”

With “Tales Of America”, J.S. Ondara has more than fulfilled this dream. The bluesy, folky debut, which clearly reveals the influence of Ondara's idol Bob Dylan, as well as Neil Young, Ray Lamontagne, Damien Rice and Ryan Adams, is not being released by an obscure indie label, but by Verve Forecast, the sub-label of the legendary jazz label Verve Records.