SOJA - Biography
SOJA (aka Soldiers of Jah Army) is an Arlington, VA-based reggae band consisting of Jacob Hemphill (lead vocals/guitar), Trevor Young (lead guitar) Rafael Rodriguez (trumpet), Bobby Lee (bass/vocals), Hellman Escorcia (saxophone), Patrick O’Shea (keyboards), Ryan Berty (drums), and Kenny Bongos (percussion). The band has sold out tours across North and South America, performed in twenty different countries and played shows with O.A.R., Matisyahu, and the Dave Matthews Band.
SOJA was formed by childhood friends Hemphill and former member Bob Jefferson, who met soon after Hemphill and his family moved back from war-torn Liberia, an experience that greatly affected Hemphill's worldview and musical tastes. Over the course of middle and high school, Hemphill befriended future band members Berty, O'Shea, and Brownell; SOJA formed in 1997 and recorded their self-titled debut three years later. Their seventh album, Amid the Noise and Haste, was released August 12, 2014 via Dave Matthews' ATO Records.
