The Soul of Cole Williams An Enlightening Q&A Interview By Gaynielle H. Neville Sitting down for lunch at one of my favorite Jamaican restaurants, Boswell’s on Tulane, with the multitalented vocalist and instrumentalist, Cole Williams, I am impressed by the Brooklyn, New York native who, in her own words, “was spiritually guided to New Orleans.” This is where she now lives and appreciates the entire New Orleans culture; the multi-dimensional music scene that she truly fits right into culturally, musically and spiritually. In the relatively short time she has been in the Crescent City, Cole has already built up some impressive credentials. She has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Congo Square New World Rhythm Festival, the Freret Street Fest and this year’s French Quarter Festival. Sporting a stage presence has been likened to Grace Jones “with a girl next door flair,” she is equally comfortable singing rock ballads as she is singing reggae or blues tracks. In addition, Cole is an ASCAPaffiliated writer and publisher, a member of The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards), Director of Education and Outreach with Community Works of New Orleans, and the host of the “New Orleans Music Show” on WWOZ radio, for whom she has also been a documentary producer and interviewer. Her latest album, Sin City, the mixtape, is carried by the Louisiana Music Factory record store on Frenchmen Street and her single, “Occupy Yourself,” is featured on the Black Rock Coalition 30th Anniversary compilation CD. A reviewer credited Cole with “forging a fearlessly original sound that is as eclectic as her outré fashion sense.” She terms her primary genre as “African Rock.” Cole blends in perfectly with her uplifting challenges and her caring community endeavors. While she teaches music education to elementary and middle school students at Arise Academy, Cole has no problem just teaching her students about life. She has started a children’s choir and she still finds enough time to do a show on WWOZ on Mondays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. PHOTOGRAPHER: ROMERO AND ROMERO Cole’s multifaceted group, the Cole Williams Band, gives the audience an amazing musical experience that transports them into envisioning they are enjoying and listening to her music while basking in the sun on a tropical island, accompanied by her awesome rhythmic sounds. It’s the kind of music that makes you get up and start dancing and asking, “Who is that band?” During my Q&A interview with Cole Williams she impressed me as one of the most gracious, inspiring artists that I’ve ever met. I came away from it convinced that she has an incredible musical future and musical journey ahead of her. Here is how it went: GAYNIELLE: What made you decide to move to New Orleans? Cole: When I first moved to New Orleans, I needed a change and I'd wanted to move away from Brooklyn for some time. Paris had always been in my top five places to live, but after visiting New Orleans while on a tour, I felt a 22 | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | breakthrumediamagazine.com J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 1 7
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