Elson and the Soul Barkada

This 30-something singer/ songwriter/ multiinstrumentalist, born and raised in Los Angeles ("The Filipino kid who grew up listening to black music in an Armenian neighborhood where people spoke Spanish and ate Thai food," as he describes himself) has always done things a little differently.In the '90s, instead of playing in three-chord alterna-grunge bands, he opted for the more jazzier, funkier side of things, playing in acid-jazz bands in venues alongside local artists such as the Black Eyed Peas and Ozomatli.In the early '00s, when dance/electronica made its peak, instead of merely spinning records, he opted to perform his electronic rhythms live - performing under the name e:trinity - and include sounds and influences from Asian music as well.Now in the mid-'00s, this music artist once again reinvents himself, simply going under his first name and playing soul/R&B music with a live band, with touches of jazz, pop, hip-hop and electronica.Sensing that soul has lost its purpose and R&B has lost its "B," Elson hopes to once again do things a little differently, this time opting for a more classic-flavored soul sound rather than merely imitating today's producers du jour.Elson is currently playing live around his hometown of Los Angeles, with a backing band comprised of some of his most musically-talented friends, called The Soul Barkada. He is currently working on his "debut" album, entitled, Elsongs 1: The Purpose of Innocence, to be released in 2006.