Peter One Announces Return to Music with First Album in 30 Years

In his 67 years, Peter One has lived many lives.

Once a beloved folk singer from Cote d’Ivoire, One was renowned in West Africa as one half of a duo behind the 1985 album Our Garden Needs Its Flowers, which he penned with Jess Saw Bi. His music became well-loved and even soundtracked the BBC-covered release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.

The artist soon after moved to the United States where a higher cost of living forced him to change direction. For the better part of 20 years, he has been been working as a nurse, living in relative obscurity until now.

One makes his official return to music with his first album in 30 years. Titled Come Back to Me, the release features a one-of-a-kind marriage between Afro-pop and mid-century country folk. Sung in English, French, and the Southern Mande language, Guro, the stunning collection of songs chronicle striking themes of love, loss, immigration, and home, all tied together by the healing power of music.

“I feel lucky,” the artist shared with Rolling Stone. “I feel also really, really happy because it’s kind of a revival. It’s an opportunity for me to get back to an unfinished job.”

With the new album announcement, One has shared its lead single, “Birds Go Die Out Of Sight (Don’t Go Home),” featuring Allison Russell. The loping country-textured tune finds him yearning for home. Things have changed / you have changed, One sings, his voice bewitching against the song’s complexities.

Listen to the track below.

One also announced he will make his debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage on April 14. Come Back to Me arrives on May 5.

Come Back To Me Track List

1. “Cherie Vico”
2. “Kavudu”
3. “Ejie”
4. “Staring Into The Blues”
5. “Sweet Rainbow”
6. “On My Own”
7. “La Petite”
8. “Je E Moi Le Piano”
9. “Bonne Annee”
10. “Birds Go Die Out of Sight”

Photo by Angelina Castillo / Courtesy of Big Feat PR