Biography
"The Ambassador" is… Stephen Gabriel Lewis, born in Virginia in 1980. He began using the performer title "The Ambassador" based on his mother’s words to him throughout childhood encouraging him to be a leader rather than a follower and to be a peacemaker with a message of hope. As Webster defines it, "a diplomat…accredited as representative from one country to another; an ambassador of good will.” The nickname went hand in hand with his passion for travelling and learning from other cultures while sharing and shaping his own. He found what many others who have sought to quench their curiosity for questions on faith in humanity have found—"All of human nature shares a harmony no matter the geographical or political divisions. No matter the race or creed, we can all feel love, desperation, hope, fear and the struggle and joy that is life. Staying conscious of these concepts enables us to focus not on the unfamiliarity in our differences as individuals/cultures but on our similarities as people. We can revel in the fact that we don’t all wear the same clothes, eat the same meals or play the same music. It's exciting to know there's always more we can learn from each other" (S.G. Lewis). Throughout his songwriting, Lewis has made it a point to couple thought provoking lyrics with a positive message written with today's youth in mind, to encourage, exhort and capitalize on the importance of family, community and relationships.
Lewis has been playing guitar and composing music and lyrics since age 14. The tunes he listened to from his older brothers music collection (John Lee Hooker, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Zeppelin, U2, etc.) and the old Motown and beach hits that would play on his parents' radio would influence his early musical tastes. Finding a love for reggae, hip hop and R&B early in high school, The Ambassador would never again be interested in limiting himself to any particular musical genre. Lewis has been both a student and a teacher overseas and professes the invaluable lessons of character building as a result of leaving one's comfort zone and venturing out into the world. As he states, "Learning the ways of other cultures allows us to better reevaluate our own society and who we are as an individual." Learning from various cultures through conversation and relationships has no doubt been one of the biggest influences on his more recent musical aspirations.
It was in 2004 that he returned to the U.S. from his latest stint overseas as an English teacher in Korea to begin work on a partnered project "The Seed " (www.myspace.com/theseedsound) as well as hone his skills as a solo performer. Lewis toured, wrote and recorded with The Seed as their frontman/guitarist, releasing the self-titled debut album in April 2008. While living in Virginia from 2005 to 2008 he hosted acoustic and electric showcases entitled "The Ambassador Presents…" featuring various Blue Ridge valley musicians sitting in from show to show. It was also during these years that he continued to tour the east coast with The Seed, gaining valuable road experience and sharpening his song writing skills. In February 2009, The Ambassador decided to head west and plant new roots in sunny San Diego, California. Since relocating, he has performed and recorded with some of SoCal's best rising reggae musicians, including members of Pato Banton's The Now Generation and the Slightly Stoopid offshoot C-Money and the Players Inc. He continues to perform both acoustically and with his backing band The Chosen Few. As a follow up to “The Ambassador Presents…” EP of 2009 and the 2010 Haiti Relief Benefit EP “Sunshine”, The Ambassador's first full-length solo album entitled "New Roots" is set to be released in early 2011. Stay tuned for good things to come and may you be blessed.
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