Jon Gold – ASHIA (2026)
No one-trick pony, singer-songwriter Jon Gold is more than just a dude with a jazzy musical flair; his musical skills brought him the opportunities of collaborating with some of the greatest names in Brazil and the USA, performances at the US Embassy and Brazilian national television, film composition and scoring, a visiting professorship by the Brazilian Federal Government, studies in chemistry (with the hope of becoming a winemaker), and the first person to (accidentally) melt a diamond. Chemistry and music, science and sound, but, as he puts it, “It’s all trivial stuff – and then there’s music”.
Following his well-received single ‘Sad Faces Are Gone’, ‘ASHIA’ is a song that “pulses with boundless energy and exudes pure joy”, capturing the heart of Cameroonian calypso with Brazilian samba, drawing on the cross-continental recording, including artists from North America, Africa and South America. Produced by Fielding Mellish, the track combines Gold’s piano, Mauricio Zottarelli’s drums, Jackson Lourenco’s bass, Will Allen’s horns, Ofat’s tenor sax, and Juan Lucangioli’s vocals in a bold, bright, upbeat brush of international Afro-jazz.
Smooth and chilled-out, but also a song to make you dance, you can imagine ‘ASHIA’ bursting from the stereo at one of those parties where everyone is grinning, twirling about, and having a good old time. Yet, as much as the track is radio-ready, there is a strong live sensation that drags you to the jam session instead of just clicking your fingers in your armchair. With each note, particularly the sax, you hear an instinctual understanding of music and feel the camaraderie of each player.
Ashia is a word that has multiple meanings, and this single is a tribute to not only that word but the Cameroonian people. Gold explains: “The song seeks to honour the people of Cameroon in their struggle for peace in the country… Ashia is “gratitude” amongst a thousand other meanings. If we do not practice gratitude, then we can never be satisfied or happy.”
Find out more about Jon Gold on his official website, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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