“After I moved to America, I expected the democratic process would be a lot cleaner here and was taken aback to find that some of the issues we faced back home in the transition of power and things like that also happened in the west,” he says. in 2013, Ondara got a first-hand look at the strange political circus that followed the ascension of President Donald Trump and his followers, showing serious cracks and divisiveness in what he had always been led to believe was a healthy, functioning democracy. On A Prophet of Doom, a multi-voiced a cappella intro turns into a rhythmic and soulful exploration of political corruption, greed and polarization in Ondara’s adopted country. More than I would like.”Įmotional exploration of America present in songs But there’s a bit of truth in every fiction and I think there’s a bit of me in the character, for sure. But it wasn’t autobiographical in that sense. I think there are parts of me in the character, certainly. “I think what happened was that later on I gave that voice a name and narrative and brought it to life in a physical sense. “I wasn’t consciously thinking of a physical character when I was writing the songs, although there is always some kind of subconscious voice in my creative process,” he says. 3 is a concept album of sorts that had Ondara telling stories through the titular character, a disillusioned globe-trotting immigrant who yearns for sense of community and home. In 2022, he released what is certainly his most ambitious album to date. 1: Tales of Isolation, only furthered his reputation as a stunning new voice in Americana. The all-acoustic record, appropriately titled Folk N’ Roll, Vol. When the pandemic caused an abrupt end to his tour with the Lumineers in early 2020, Ondara retreated to his Minneapolis home to record the ultimate quarantine album as a follow-up. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana album. It features songs told from the point of view of a new American experiencing both the rush of excitement and the real-life hardships of the immigrant experience, offering what Rolling Stone called “urgent reflections on the gap between American promise and American reality.” Part of that disillusionment and alienation can be found on Tales of America, his 2019 acclaimed debut. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. If I told them I was coming here to be a rock star they would have thought I was insane and locked me in my room.” That was the only way they would let me leave. I wanted to do this but I had to tell my family I was going to med school. “Was I adopted or something? I think they all expected I would come here and go to (medical) school or something like that. “I think they are perplexed, trying to figure out where I came from,” says Ondara, who will be performing at the Calgary Folk Music Festival on Saturday and at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival on Sunday, Aug. It seems they had no idea that Ondara harboured ambitions, or possessed the talent and skill, to become a professional musician at all - much less a successful one in America. On the phone from his home in Minneapolis, the songwriter says no one was more surprised about this success than his family back home in Kenya. He also opened shows for Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Young and the Lumineers. Nevertheless, within five years Ondara had landed a major record deal, released an acclaimed debut album that was nominated for a Grammy and featured an impressive roster of A-list guests such as Andrew Bird, the Dawes’ Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith and Joey Ryan of The Milk Carton Kids. Manage Print Subscription / Tax ReceiptĪt that point, he had written journal entries but had never written a song.It has been incredible to look back on the moments that have defined both my career and my personal life–from my childhood and origins in the fashion world to my enduring passion for pop culture and America. Today, his collections include an entire range of apparel and products.”ĭiscussing the memoir in his own words, Hilfiger shares, “ American Dreamer is a reflection on my experiences in the fashion industry from the last 30-plus years. The official book description reads: “Since launching his menswear collection in 1985, Tommy Hilfiger has become one of the most popular designers in America. Written in collaboration with Peter Knobler, the book is published by Ballantine Books and will be released November 1, 2016. Wearing a classic white dress shirt for the image, Hilfiger was photographed by Richard Phibbs at his Fifth Avenue store in New York City. Tommy Hilfiger’s Memoir Cover | American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion and Businessĭesigner Tommy Hilfiger unveils the cover art for his third book, American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion and Business.
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