The self-proclaimed “punk empress of African Rock” Cole Williams has premiered a brand new single titled “Free” over on Huffington Post. The new single follows the release of “A Change Is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke) from earlier in the year, and showcases Williams at the top of her game. Huff Post has called the song “a gift…[a] singular touching performance” and credited her for her “powerhouse vocals and empowering lyrical stance.”
Williams had this to say about the track: “That song is a collaboration between myself and French producer/musician Pierre VEUILLOT while I was working in Paris. It was an incredible experience to create music with someone I could barely have a conversation with. This song is about me and my right to express my voice as a woman, Jamaican-American, musician, educator and human. At times, the music world can feel more oppressive than the “real” world, and you feel like you are fighting to be heard. This song is my statement, my personal mantra and my gift to everyone that wants to be free.”
Fans can listen to the track here.
Cole Williams will be bringing her spirited African Rock performances all over New Orleans in November. She will be performing at Marigny Brasserie every Saturday this month, and will also be at the ACE Hotel Nola on November 29th. Ticket information can be found at www.colewilliamsmusic.com.
"Life is a stage," says Cole Williams, who is more than just a singer/songwriter/producer/composer. Cole has expanded her repertoire to reflect an increasingly eclectic assortment of creative endeavors. Model, WWOZ New Orleans radio host, community worker, and more. Since moving from her native Brooklyn, Williams has welcomed New Orleans with open arms, taking it’s eclectic spirit as an influence, and leaving her own creative and singular stamp on the city. Blessed with a powerful voice and superlative musical instincts, Cole is forging a “fearlessly original sound that is as eclectic as her outré fashion sense.”
Cole’s stage presence has been likened to Grace Jones with a girl next door flare bends and melds sound breaking traditional genre distinctions, making her a unique musical entity, comfortable singing rock ballads as she is reggae or a blues tracks. Williams studied voice with Ankh Rah Amenhetep (Making the Band) from 2000-2002 to develop her vocal personality, and soon began writing and recording demos in some of NYC’s top studios.
