Ondara

Ondara is stopping in Paris on June 1, 2026, at the Café de la Danse. A Kenyan singer-songwriter based in Minneapolis, J.S. Ondara has, as a self-taught musician, developed a brand of folk centered on voice and acoustic guitar. His songs chronicle exile, identity and the darker aspects of the American dream, somewhere between folk, Americana and soft rock.

Spotted on the local Midwest scene, he released in 2019 Tales of America, a primarily acoustic debut that earned him a Grammy nomination in 2020. During lockdown he followed with Folk N’ Roll Vol. 1: Tales of Isolation, a more direct record in which his folk takes on rock inflections and a rawer writing style. In 2022, Spanish Villager No. 3 broadened the scope with a fictional alter ego, full-band arrangements and indie rock and soul influences, while keeping the voice at the center.

At the Café de la Danse he will be presenting this repertoire that moves between acoustic spareness and band energy, driven by narrative songwriting and a vocal presence up front.