From an early age Sophis picked up the love of singing from his mother who sang constantly around their one room shack in Haiti.
“My mother sang when she was sad, hurt, broke, lonely or when she was happy.” remembers Sophis, “she had a song for every situation.”
Like many of his fellow Haitians, life wasn't a welcoming place for Sophis in Haiti. But he found refuge in music and singing. He found a magical place where time was allowed to suspend...where he could borrow the imagined lives of ...
From an early age Sophis picked up the love of singing from his mother who sang constantly around their one room shack in Haiti.
“My mother sang when she was sad, hurt, broke, lonely or when she was happy.” remembers Sophis, “she had a song for every situation.”
Like many of his fellow Haitians, life wasn't a welcoming place for Sophis in Haiti. But he found refuge in music and singing. He found a magical place where time was allowed to suspend...where he could borrow the imagined lives of all these amazing singers who fueled his passion for singing. From Micheal Jackson to Kool & The Gang to James Ingram to Michel Sardou to Mike Brandt; from Ti Manno to Ansy Derose, to cite a few.
"All I ever wanted even as a little boy in Haiti was to be on stage and sing my heart to the world," says Sophis. However, his passion for music was kept on a short leash while he focused on his studies until he left Haiti for the USA in 1987.
It wasn't, nonetheless, until 2005 that he was able to unleash that old passion and start sharing his music and love for the stage with a wider audience. You can say that he's been in repression or preparation for a long time.
"For me, music, being on stage is the only place where time still suspends today...where I truly feel happy! I write and sing to connect with fans like you and hopefully infuse your days with a little bit of happiness, awareness and hope. That's what my music is about!" confesses Sophis.
In 2005 he founded the Afro-Caribbean band Kalbass Kreyol with his friend Mr.G as a tool to raise awareness about his Haitian Culture in California.
While writing songs for Kalbass Kreyol, Sophis was also writing other songs that were of a more personal and confessional bend not intended for the band.
And so in 2009, Sophis put the band on hold in order to work on his debut solo album that was to be independently released by summer of 2010.However with the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit his homeland on January 12, 2010, Sophis pushed aside his solo project and reactivated Kalbass Kreyol to quickly raise funds for the victims of the devastating earthquake.
Now surrounded by some of the best musicians in the Bay Area and equipped with a clear vision and purpose for his music, Sophis is happily sharing his new material with his fans as a solo artist.
A fan said it best when she said "Sophis music can make you cry, laugh and dance all in one embrace."
His lyrics can be playful, reflective and soul-moving, but it is his unique ability to vocally translate these emotions that connects people to his music.
From Yoshi's in Oakland to the Independent in San Francisco to Ashkenaz in Berkeley, the sincerity and passion with which he delivers every one of his compositions is the reason why people can't get enough of this up and coming singer songwriter.
They say seeing is believing! This is certainly true for Sophis. Come to one of his shows and you will understand the enpowering impact of his music and performances.
"It's never too late to reclaim your dream," says Sophis "that is what my music is about and that is what I wish for everybody."
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