On Dec 31st, 2011 International Supergroup SOULFÈGE sat down for their first interview since saving the world... Part 1 of 3
LIGHT & SALVATION
Here's an acoustic song we played to close out a fundraiser for Obama on March 4, 2008. With so much fear being thrown into the mix by candidates lacking the ability to inspire their constituents, we thought it worth letting you all know that we are not and WILL NOT be afraid...and neither should you be. Freedom Forever.
SWEET REMIX
This is a great video we shot in ACCRA, GHANA and which wound up airing on stations across Africa, the Caribbean & in Europe. Check it out!
> Get this video and more from Heavy Structured (Plus)
Last summer we dropped a new video. Some of y'all might have peeped it on our boy Jamie Moffett's page, who directed this bad boy. Here's the video to one of the first songs we we ever wrote, "Sweetheart." Check it out:
The Core playa's in the band are: DNA - ld vocalist, rhythm electric guitar Jonathan Gramling - ld vocalist, Congas Daniela Bauer - ld vocalist Stix Bones - drums Alex Staley - electric bass Atta Addo - percussion Micah Hulscher - keyboard
Nadirah-X & DNA, kickin' it at WME
Influences
Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Prince, Stevie Wonder, P-Funk, The Fugees, E. T. Mensah, Sam Cooke, Buju Banton, The Roots, Kool & The Gang, Prince Nico Mbarga
Sounds Like
Wailers/Black Eyed Peas/Antibalas/Arrested Development/No Doubt/hmm, kind of different from all of those...Why don't you see for yourself? Peep the videos! :)
Afro-Diasporic Groovalicious Funkadociousness! If Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, The Roots & No Doubt were all jammin' with the same band, it would be this one.
THE BEGINNING
Soulfège was founded by two amazingly groovalicious brothers in song:
Jonathan M Gramling and Derrick N. Ashong (aka DNA).
After meeting as two of the flyest college students ever to sleep
through classes at Harvard University, they early realized that life
on Wall Street might not be as hot as corporate recruiters were
claiming. At first sign of a real job DNA fled to Hollywood to act
in Steven Spielberg's Amistad. He returned with his lungs full of
second-hand stardust and wrote a musical for his senior thesis. He
was never to be remotely normal again...
After negotiating their release from their beloved alma mater's
Supreme Financial Aid division, the two decided it was time to take
their good education and make some serious cash. They thus started a
band and promptly realized the precise value of that "good education"...
A BAND IS BORN
After traveling to Leipzig Germany with the Harvard Kuumba Singers to
bust some wicked harmonies with vocalist extraordinaire Bobby
McFerrin, Jonathan and DNA fell in love with the sound of a much
better-looking singer, Miss Kelley Nicole Johnson. Ms. Johnson would
subsequently leave the band heartbroken in the Fall of 2008 after she
decided she could no longer live on 1.5 meals of gruel and cabbage
per day, and ran off with a shady character named Solo Career (no
relation to Han Solo of Millenium Falcon fame).
After traveling to Ashong's hometown of Accra, Ghana the group
stumbled across the best percussionist they had ever stumbled across,
in the form of one Attaa Addo (aka Putum Pata). They put the Pata on
a platter with Brooklyn-based Hip Hop phenomenon, producer and
drummer extraordinaire, Stix Bones and started servin' up large
plates of Real Beats & Rhymes. Add to the mix Alex Staley, a loping,
Funk-addicted Berklee producer raised on the mean streets of
Portland, Oregon and you have the "bassis" of what would become known
as the illest group of gunless gangstas the world of Hip Hop had
never known.
THE BREAKUP
After completing their latest record "Take Back the Mic" the
illustrious soon-to-be-famous, peacenik, Afropolitan rockers were
blindsided by the loss of the lovely Kelley Nicole to that devilish
rogue, Solo Career. In commemoration of the event Jonathan and DNA
were crying into a nearby infant's spilt milk at an IHOP in Burbank,
CA when in came a breath of fresh air.
After slamming the door shut to keep all that freshness from screwing
up the inspired scent of grits & bacon, they noticed a beautiful girl
with a cool accent sitting across from a giant African at the next
table. DNA immediately thought "I wish she could sing," but wisely
said nothing on account of the aforementioned giant African. Turns
out that the beautiful girl could not only sing, she also had a name,
a degree from Berklee School of Music, an acoustic guitar and had
just come off tour w/ Musiq Soulchild. It was thus that Austrian/
Zimbabwean superstarlissima Daniela (aka "Yela") was discovered and
assimilated into the Soulfège Borg.
A NEW DAY
Before realizing that it is not a good idea to begin every paragraph
with the word "after," the band recruited another amazing talent.
Born and buttered in Seattle, WA, keyboard wizard Micah Hulscher
would bring an Elvis-esque hair-do and a freshly baked slice of
Americana to the global pajama party. Behind the now near
impenetrable wall of sound, in a dark basement filled with computer
screens and hard-drives sits DNA's long time collaborator and
Jamaican production wunderkind, Sajato "Jahtoworks" Jarrett, making
more subversive cross-cultural beats than you can shake a mic at.
Thus a 21st Century Band was Born. And with that, Soulfège was poised to put a giant smile on the face of global society. Stay tuned, as the soon-to-be legendary crew bring the FUNKADOCIOUSNESS to a country near YOU!
THE...BEGINNING
So here's the original video of our very own, beautifully bald, infamously political DNA getting "brutally lyrical" with a journalist outside the Obama/Clinton debate. It's been getting mad love on the web and we are proud to be supporting the Obama campaign (well, most of us...some band members are clearly cooler than others...ahem). Anyway, this is democracy in action y'all. Gotta' love it! Peep the second video w/ DNA's response as well. OBAMA '08!!! (Note: D added that last part)
And here is DNA's response to all the gazillion questions we've been getting on that interview, as well as a personal explanation of why he supports Obama. SI SE PUEDE!:
BRONZEVILLE'S 3 DAY TRIBUTE TO BILL DUKE.. FILM SUBMISSIONS OPEN TO NATIONWIDE FOREIGN & DOMESTIC!!!! (Real Award Ceremony so send in you best work!!!)
WORKSHOP & GALA PARTICIPATION SPOTS AVAILBLE!!! (ACTORS/ACTRESSES/POETS/SINGERS/DANCERS/ VIDEOGRAPHERS/PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS/WRITERS...
ALSO SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
GRACE FILMS & THE PRODUCER THE INDIE HIT FILM *FASSY TAILS: MOVIE ABOUT TEEN PREGNANCY*
WILL BE @ THE BRONZEVILLE CUTURAL FESTIVAL TAKING CONSIDERATIONS FROM SINGERS, MUSICIANS, SET DESIGNERS, MAKE-UP/ HAIR STYLISTS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, CHOEROGRAPHERS, WRITERS, PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, LIGHTING/SOUND ENGINEERS, & SPONSORS FOR HER UPCOMING LIVE STAGE MUSICAL *A PIECE OF ICE*!!! BRING HEAD SHOTS, PRESS KITS, & RESUME'S
Exclusive Interview w/multi-talented performing artist Gina Rene!
Join us on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10th as Gina Rene and other fabulous artists rock the mic at the Dakota Music Lounge, 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 Concert starts @ 6pm. $7 cover/ 21+
Whud up, whud up! Da love is most appreciated! Im just slidin through introducin' maself. I go by Khacki, a well known producer from Atl, Ga. If ur ever in need of phi production or hooks, holla at me.
Or if u wanna stop by ma page n say a lil some, its all love! Much respect to ya…
just comin around to see what up......great tracks im hearin quite impressed actually......check out my page when u get a chance, much love, 3R dry air
Happy New Year, Soulfège-NEW EP ON ITUNES! Rudy Ray Moore's outrageous comedy CD, "Dolemite For President" is in stores now - please help spread the word!!! This original 1972 comedy album has never before been issued on CD and contains unreleased Rudy bonus tracks!
Also check out hit R&B artist Troop's Billboard charting soulful album, "Mayday"!
Thanks for supporting Rudy Ray Moore's comedy!