Cole Williams
Where you at Cole? Where you at Cole?….. on her soon-to-be released album, we’re sure Ms Williams is going to tell you where it’s at!
Cole Williams grew up in Brooklyn, New York, with her Jamaican mother and grandmother. “Everyone in my family sings or plays an instrument, but I’m the first to make it my career. I’m first generation American on my mother’s side, and they’re very traditional and religious, so my family doesn’t fully understand what I do. My father has a better understanding of my businesses and supports me as much as he can.” Her father plays piano and sings, and his influence set up Cole to go make music and let her voice be heard.
Living in Paris and performing her own music across Europe, she also became a background singer for Grammy-winning African singer, Somi, and American singer/rapper, Aloe Blacc, amongst others. In 2015, Williams moved to New Orleans where she continued her musical career and became the founder (together with civil rights activist Curtis Muhammad) of the Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team in 2020, to advocate for the city’s growing houseless population in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and worsening economic crisis. In August 2020, the organisation succeeded in convincing the City to provide emergency housing in empty hotels. Now they are busy renovating City-owned abandoned houses, together with the presently unhoused people that will live in them.
Williams’ drive to help comes from a deeply-felt belief that “all people need to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Teaching houseless and poor people the skills needed to help themselves is my responsibility as a human being. There are no politics in our work.”
Williams volunteers at New Orleans Community radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, where she hosts a weekly show.
Her new album, which was produced in her home studio in New Orleans, is Williams’ contribution to the Freedom Movement. “All the songs are based on my direct action with The Houseless through my organization, The Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team. These are messages and lessons. Our ability to care and support each other in the global community is impacting our humanity. Since 2020 I’ve been doing this work and I’ll be an organizer until I’m not. Ella Baker, Curtis Muhammad, Fannie Lou Hammer, Sister Gertrude Morgan; these are some of the historic figures that inspired my presentation.”
While we correspond for Sandwiches & Stories, Williams is on location filming for the new Michael B. Jordan movie. Ms Williams is one busy lady! So we say, get busy caring, make the “All We Need” grilled sandwich and have a listen to the Queen of New Orleans’s music. Look for her new album How We Care For Humanity, out this week.
"All We Need" sandwich
It's basically a grilled, grilled cheese sandwich. I've always liked grilled cheese sandwiches and they're easy to make, customize and eat while I'm working in my office or studio.
Ingredients
Gluten-free bread
Smoked Gouda
Red onion
Slice of tomato
Rocket
Method
Grill lightly on both sides with olive oil.
Best served with D&G ginger beer.
Where do you like to eat and drink?
Cafe: I prefer to go to cafes that have an authenticity to the particular city or region I'm in.
Pub/bar: Vaughan's Lounge in New Orleans. These drinks are strong.
Restaurant: Minetta Tavern in NYC. It's an experience.
Cole Williams Flavourpitch playlist
Want to see more of Cole Williams?
Instagram: @colewilliamsofficial
Spotify: Cole Williams
Bandcamp: Cole Williams
What’s happening:
Cole’s new album How We Care For Humanity, is being released in October. Read our review here.
Listen to Cole’s New Orleans Music Show on local radio station WWOZ (every Tuesday).
Learn more about Cole’s organization The Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team
You can support Cole’s work and contribute to the Greater New Orleans Citizens Relief Team fundraiser on Gofundme at House The Houseless: Next Wave Civil Rights, NOLA
Gigs:
1st November: Buffa’s, New Orleans, LA
6th December: Buffa’s, New Orleans, LA