Kenyan musician Ondara came to the U.S. about 10 years ago at age 20, after winning a visa lottery, but even growing up in Nairobi, he was drawn to artists like Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan — and their lyrics about life in a distant place called America.
Ondara’s first album “Tales of America” came out in 2019 and was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Americana Album.” He released his new album “Spanish Villager No. 3” last month.