John Cole sets eyes on music

By Vasco Chaya

After scaling dizzy heights in dance industry, celebrated choreographer John Cole has now set his eyes on music industry.

Though Cole is not new in showbiz, his debut track Skoro Skoro released in May convinced leading South African Public Relations and Marketing Communications Consultancy Brandy Audacity to sign him.

The agency’s founding director Honest Masiya described Cole as “a multi-talented, ambitious and hungry to make his mark in Africa.”

Currently, Cole is working on Color of Dance a seven track studio album which is expected in the last quarter of the year.

Cole told the Daily News on Sunday that venturing into music was part of his bigger picture.

“I can dance but I cannot get royalties out of it. It’s a once-off payment. Venturing into music was inspired by the desire and urge to build a sustainable legacy,” the 30-year-old choreographer said.

“Apart from that, I am working towards establishing John Cole School of Arts hence I would like to go through virtually every form of art. This will help me to understand the dynamics of the arts industry better.”

Cole who is the Zimbabwe Choreographers Dancers Association founding president also revealed that the decision to join music industry was to counter frustrations he suffered at the hands of musicians.

“Despite our (dancers) immense contribution to the music industry, dancers will remain unappreciated in Zimbabwe. We are not recognised at all.

“Musicians are not loyal, they are exploitative in nature and very few are professional,” he said.

Inspired by the late Michael Jackson, Cole has worked with a number of musicians including Ammara Brown, Sebastian Magacha, Cynthia Mare and Jah Prayzah among others as a dancer or choreographer.

He has featured on concerts featuring international artistes such as Freshly Ground, Brick and Lace, Joe Thomas and Umoja only to mention but a few.

“I am tired of creating materials for others who in return don’t appreciate me. It’s painful doing for others and not receiving credit, money, and other things one deserves.

“When musicians want your help they act like mother Theresa and Indian Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi combined, but when they are done with you, they left you in the cold.
As a result, I have decided to venture into music myself,” he said.

Cole choreographed Ammara and Tytan’s video Mukoko, Akiliz video and Mare’s Ngoro, Jah Prayzah’s Mudhara Achauya launch and Zimbabwe dancehall hip-hop crew “House of Stone” which won Battle of the Year Africa Competitions among others.

However, Cole singled out Mare as a musician of outstanding professionalism.

“I have no problem with Mare at all. She is just good and professional,” the father of two said.

Cole said he enjoyed working with corporates more than individuals.DailyNews