Ashley - Vocals

Vocalist and Songwriter Ashley Ruiz’s varied musical career took him on a winding path of curious twists and unusual turns, prior to answering HERE II HERE vocalist Alex Perez’s short ad in a Miami newspaper in 1998. Formerly a soloist with a gospel choir, he was accepted to study at the prestigious New World School of the Arts before being swept away by the wildly popular Latin teen-group Menudo in the early 90’s.

Ash sang with Menudo for nearly six adventurous years before leaving the group, perfecting his vocal skills and refining his incomparable stage presence. Ashley is the rare performer who can keep a transfixed audience laughing, meditating and dancing, and often all at once. Able to sing through an impressive range of octaves, Ashley’s voice can go in one verse from a deep, guttural Gregorian chant-style vibration straight through to a soaring falsetto before settling back down to earth inside a smooth, undulating tenor.

“There was never a time when I consciously chose a life of music … music chose me,” he says.

The Miami native at one time aspired to become a marine biologist, but even then most of his attention was focused on music. A rowdy gospel group called the Clark Sisters, as well as the music of Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, and John Lennon, all kept him focused on his musical aspirations, which have brought him now to the role of vocalist and songwriter for HERE II HERE.

In addition to being passionate about the group, Ashley is passionate about his family: his mother, sister, two artistic brothers, and two grandmothers, whom he adores.

Profound moments of spiritual awakening in his life have also empowered him to lead others in gatherings called satsangs - “meetings in truth” – which are gatherings of people coming together to investigate the source of the Self, “which is what the band does musically,” he points out. His future intentions are to continue bringing a message of unconditional, ever-present love to the world through music and in gatherings in truth, a determination in complete harmony with Ashley’s belief that “Peace and love are closer than anyone could ever think.”