Soja band biography books
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SOJA shares about their new album, “This is the album we’ve been wanting to make for ten years.
A concert LP, Live in Virginia, appeared in 2016, giving the band their second Grammy nod. In early 2009 the band released the documentary DVD “SOJA Live in Hawaii: A Marc Carlini Film,” showcasing the power and energy of their 2008 Hawaiian tour which included four islands, five cameras, four shows, and everything in between.
Now, SOJA is ready to unleash their third full-length album “Born in Babylon” - the culmination of all past efforts on their label DMV Records.
Tours became larger, their fan base expanded rapidly and they grew up smart in the independent music industry. “Me and my dad used to sing ‘Impossible Love’ by UB40 all the time—we’d sing together at his piano, we’d sing it when we were driving somewhere,” says Hemphill. On their Grammy Award Winning album, Beauty in the Silence—the band deepens that communal spirit by collaborating with artists from all corners of the reggae world, including the likes of UB40, Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, and Rebelution.
The real key to life is in being still.”
In keeping with the notion of slowing down, SOJA deliberately took their time in creating Beauty in the Silence. We as a society tend to have blinders on. Get Wiser arrived in 2006 and was premiered back home with the album being played live in total, a concert that was captured on that year's DVD release Get Wiser Live.
SOJA
SOJA (Soldiers of Jah Army) was formed in 1997 by D.C.-area high school friends and musicians Jacob Hemphill (lead vocals, guitar), Eric Rogers (keyboards, harmony vocals, guitar), Bobby Lee Jefferson (bass, vocals), Ryan Berty (drums), and Ken Brownell (percussion), who made their recorded debut with 2000's SOJA EP. Their debut album, Peace in a Time of War, followed in 2002, while its dub version, Dub in a Time of War, appeared in 2004.
Stick Figure) emerged from an instrumental that Stick Figure frontman Scott Woodruff recorded in the studio he’d set up in his Sprinter van. “‘Jump’ is a song about how the real basis of the human experience is connection, and I love that it’s SOJA and Eric and Stoopid all coming together as people who’ve known each other a very long time.”
One of the final tracks on Beauty in the Silence, “Reason To Live” (ft.
You could be from anywhere, any situation, rich, poor – it doesn’t matter; the song is directed at them. “We were on tour together, and after the show Collie was going through beats on his phone,” says Hemphill of the Bermudian reggae artist. “The new album is called ‘Get Wiser’ – that’s the idea. In their sound, reggae became the predominate influence because it is dedicated to a real message and promotes revolution.
The group, which includes a pair of lead singers who also pull double duty - Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) – as well as Patrick O’Shea on keyboard, percussionist Ken Brownell, and drummer Ryan Berty, originally came together in 1997.
‘Born in Babylon’ is hard roots drum and bass, big wide guitar and vocal melodies, and two and three sided lyrics, with two and three sided messages.”
For the rest of 2009 and moving into 2010 – SOJA plans on touring the United States extensively while promoting “Born in Babylon” with mainstay horn players Hellman Escorcia (saxophone) and Rafael Rodriguez (trumpet).
That is how it all started.” SOJA’s first album, “Soldiers of Jah Army EP” was released at the beginning of 2000.
In 2002, SOJA released their first full-length album, “Peace in a Time of War.” Though the band was young, the album had hits. That is what we are after.