THE Voice of a New Generation…

Ashong – or DNA as he is sometimes known – is literally the voice of a new generation.

Whether that is heard in the eloquent expression of his thoughts on Senator Barack Obama (as seen in one of the most downloaded videos of 2008 on YouTube), in his music (as the lead for the emerging band Soulfege), in his lyrics (he won Billboard Magazine’s 2007 World Song Writing Competition) or in his acting ability (alongside two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad), the 32-year old Harvard educated talent has found myriad ways to inspire, engage and activate young people with positive messages for social change.

The Ghana, West Africa native has dedicated his life to building bridges between the fields of business, media, technology, youth culture, pop culture and politics. He is the founder of Take Back the Mic, a youth-centered cultural movement that empowers young people by using niche and viral marketing to bring music and other media to a global market.

A true Renaissance Man, Ashong has lived in such diverse locations as Brooklyn, New York, Voorhees, New Jersey and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Trained as a classical pianist, he is also a self-taught guitarist, a natural performer and a songwriter who was involved in theater throughout primary and secondary school while learning to communicate his thoughts through poetry. After he enrolled at Harvard, Ashong met his current band members while performing in a university choir. Then, just before completing his studies, he took a leave of absence to perform in Amistad. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Cambridge to finish his degree requirements before pursuing a Ph.D. in African-American Studies and Ethnomusicology, later leaving the doctorate program to pursue his artistry and advocacy full-time.

His recent breakthrough occurred on two parallel fronts. First, he authored the Soulfege emerging hit “From The Soul,” which won Billboard Magazine’s 2007 World Song Writing Competition in March 2008. He was also interviewed on his political views outside a rally for Senator Barack Obama in Los Angeles on January 31, 2008. His captivating and persuasive statements quickly became one of the most popular clips on YouTube, with over one million views since its release. That combination led to an opinion piece about the Los Angeles resident in the New York Times, an article on CNN.com and positive reviews of the Soulfege sound in Vanity Fair and other places.

Ashong has lectured around the world, including recent high profile talks at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and at Deepak Chopra’s Alliance For a New Humanity Conference. He is a board member of the Interra Project, a social enterprise focused on consumer finance launched by Visa Int’l founder Dee Hock and Odwalla Juices founder Greg Steltenpohl and Oasis Entertainment, a non-profit media & event production company supporting communities in need.

He is single and currently resides in Los Angeles.

www.soulfege.com

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