Sons Of The Orient, a.k.a. SOTO, hail from Jacksonville, FL. Comprised of 4 members, Luke, Gary, Toby, and Jesch - their story takes us back into the early 90s. During an emergence of R&B groups, such as Boyz II Men and Color Me Badd, each member was discovering their vocal niche as well as their high school identity. As admirers of these mainstream artists, the boys were exercising their singing chords by covering songs at talent shows and local events. By fast forwarding a couple of years and mixing a couple of members in and out, SOTO became more solidified in the late 90s. They inherited a deeper appreciation of their musical background and history by listening to more groups with a strong vocal foundation (Take 6, the Temptations, and yes, more Boyz II Men).
Then by pure coincidence at an airport, the men ran into Daron Jones of the well known R&B, hip hop group 112. Right on the spot, SOTO performed a cappella for Daron and after being awe struck by their vocal talents, he initiated a movement to the next level. Not letting an opportunity pass, 2 of the members, Gary and Jesch, moved to the A-T-L, Atlanta, GA. Pushing other personal career goals aside, music was on top of the list. Now into the new millennium, SOTO was in the mix of the music scene down south. In 2001, they released a single entitled Crazy which played on HOT 107.9 in Atlanta. A small fan base began to grow for the Sons. Soon, they met the likes of Usher and the Neptunes while working on tracks with Daron Jones.
But was the nation ready for an Asian American boy band? Was there a niche for an Asian descendent singing group? And how long do you work at making ends meet to pursue what seems like a dream? As months passed, they realized that time was not in their favor and felt the need to move forward. Sons of the Orient dispersed, but individually continued to sing for the enjoyment of the art.
Now you can listen to the group and be a judge.
