Chombos was performing at the album release party
Chombos Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Story
By Daria Fominykh
Is he a young Jay-Z or Kanye West who has suddenly appeared on the horizon in China? Chombos' fusion of decent rap and hip-hop sprinkled with piquant African rhythms strikes you like a masterpiece of an experienced musician. However, being a yet 21-year-old rapper from Lesotho, he is still awaiting a verdict on his popularity.
I first met Francis Ojochonu Onubi, who was known by his stage name Chombos, at the release party of his debut album "Simplicity is Gone". On my way to the event, I was listening to his songs which had been uploaded on YouTube just a few hours before, and I couldn't believe that those vivid and catchily bizarre songs were written, recorded, and laid out by a newly graduated student in Hangzhou.
Chombos started writing this album when he was 19 years old while pursuing a bachelor's degree in Measurement and Control at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology. As I later was taught, "Simplicity is Gone" challenges the conventions of the hip-hop genre by infusing it with the rich tapestry of African culture. The album also marked Chombos' personal growth in China since he moved here at the age of 17.
What do you think of a rapper? If as a brutal, solemn, or aggressive figure, then you'd be surprised to meet Chombos, who always wears a sincere wide smile. "I literally cannot stop smiling. I even used to be laughed at because of it. This goofiness of mine is also reflected in my music", he said, grinning and slightly rocking back and forth in a chair, likely feeling a bit silly about sharing this information.
Another particular thing about Chombos is that neither had he any music family background nor a strong passion for music cultivated from a very young age. He became interested in music around the age of 14 when a friend dragged him to a guitar class. Like many other kids in Africa, he played around with DJ apps and created bits with his little brother at home, although his mom would often say that they were making noises in their room. But soon, his approach to this hobby changed.
Thousands of miles from home, in a place where English hip-hop culture is considerably less popular, music became a significant investment of time and effort firmly integrated into his life. You can call it fate or luck, but in Hangzhou, he met some exceptionally talented foreign and Chinese musicians. Among them was Francis (Chombos' namesake), a strong character and gifted instrumentalist from Nigeria, who became Chombos' saxophone mentor.
You can hardly imagine how self-determined the two music lovers were. They practiced saxophone in any circumstances -- on the roof of a teaching building, in front of a crowd of students, in a cold or hot weather. "I even practiced with a cold when Francis brought me a hot towel", recalled Chombos, laughing. He practiced 8 hours every day working on Francis's saxophone assignments and managed to balance these with full-time studying. Eventually, Chombos incorporated the saxophone into his music, and 90% of the instruments on the album were played by himself.
During the pandemic, Chombos not only studied instruments but also attended a school of music at Berklee Online, learning how to produce, record instruments, and lay out music. Despite the time-consuming process of producing professional music, he also decided to pursue a master's degree in AI Computer Science in a college of Jiangsu. "Although I would like to do music full-time, life is not always so sure. There is no need to dash education to the side because music might not work. I don't lose anything from doing my master's, I'm still young," he explained.
So, how can we support the young musician? If Chombos has not yet knocked on your door promoting the CD of "Simplicity is Gone" (as he actually sells door-to-door), you can visit the website or local record stores in Hangzhou to buy the disk, as I did. Chombos added, "Music is always about people. They could definitely support me by playing, listening, sharing the music, and coming to shows".