Zondo (Abraham Mellish) is a native-born son of Suakoko, Liberia who was forced to immigrate to America at the age of 15 as an asylee, due to civil war. In response to this struggle, Zondo found the path of musical expression, whereby he taught himself to play instruments (especially guitar) & write songs. He fuses traditional Liberian sensibility with American folk-pop to create a unique blend of sounds that transcends borders by speaking directly to the heart. Whenever Zondo plays or writes, the intention is an act of healing—while the message encourages us to resonate with love in the face of adversity. His performances aim to reunite people & ignite their spirits. It’s a global place of celebration—where melody, rhythm, activism, & culture intertwine. From Osmosis to Ubuntu, Zondo invites his audience to flow from sensations of separation & oppression into synergy & rebirth.

In the past deccade, Zondo has performed & taught for various groups throughout the Americas. In Chicago, Zondo has played for annual World Refugee Day celebrations, as well as community arts groups such as The Gala, LYRIC Mentoring, Soul Speak, Chi Ka Go, The Freakeasy, Consensus—among others. Beyond there, he has also delivered feature performances at Burning Man (for Burners Without Borders), at Standing Rock (for the Lakota Tribe), at Lago Atitlan in Guatemala (for an artist residency), and at several other intimate events on the west & east coasts of USA (for Sacred Sons).

He has been accompanied by Robert Irving III (music director for Miles Davis) & further collaborated with progressive contemporaries—such as Ugandan superstar Maurice Kirya, Chicago hip-hop master & revolutionary youth mentor PHENOM, plus Chicago’s especially smooth poet Harold Green. Zondo has also been featured to open for widely renowned artists including Ruben Studdard, Porangui, and Lizzy Jeff.

Zondo, his wife, and their two young children are pleased to call Appalachia their new home—where he continues to create music & remains committed to sharing it with the world, through avenues dedicated to the liberation of all peoples. There he has begun to collaborate with artists such as Otto Vazquez, Adama Dembele, & Fyfe along with groups including the Peace Chamber & LEAF Global.

It’s not just a typical singer-songwriter project; it’s also a movement toward Restorative Justice, toward Peace. As his fellow Africans have said it: Ubuntu! Zondo hopes to sync up with you sometime along the way …