Yen

Official Biography (courtesy of Yen)

Yen may not look like your typical soul singer.   Then again, souls are on the inside. And so is Yen's Powerful Voice.  It's his calling.

Born in Vietnam and raised in Michigan, Yen (pronounced Ian) was the youngest of ten children.   He had to find his voice.  And when he opened his mouth, no one could believe what came out.  The local beat - Motown - had taken root inside his tiny frame.  He's amazed crowds ever since.

Yen grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, James Ingram, Take 6, and other legends.  But he didn't  really hone his soul singing until he joined the Kalamazoo Mass Choir as a teenager.  With increased vocal range, Yen opened for national acts such as John P. Kee, The Chicago Mass Choir, and The Williams Brothers. 

Some of Yen's most recent accomplishments include being selected 2004 Vietnamese Star Search Winner, Michigan's "Next Rising Star of 2002" on ABC's Good Morning America, the opening act for 98 Degrees (a performance he acquired by beating out hundreds of other performers in Detroit's WDIV "Say What Sing Along Contest" (summer of 2001), and being a cast member of the nationally acclaimed Detroit musical "Perilous Times."  This musical featured star acts such as gospel greats Vanessa Bell Armstrong and William Murphy III, Tommie Ford of the "Martin Lawrence Show", and Tiny Lister "Debo" of Friday and Next Friday.

Since relocating to Atlanta, Yen has performed at various Gospel Festivals, Cit of Decatur Concerts in the Park. the Apache Cafe, The Rialto Center, Cafe' Tu Tu Tango, and more. 

He recently released his debut CD, due out the fall of 2007, called "Introducing The Sound of AsiansoulRnB." 

Yen doesn't just sing love ballads.  He tackles race and religion.  The songwriting has given Yen, a chance to reflect on his own upbringing in tiny Parchment, Michigan.  "I am  grateful to my father and mother for sacrificing so much," he says, "so all of their children can have a better life."

His father a politcal refugee, would shock other mill workers in "The Paper City" by lifting bails as large as he.  Yen gets the same looks.  Only he lifts his lyrics.