South African international singer, Colé van dais, based in Johannesburg North, is originally from the Natal coastal town, Amanzimtoti, where she grew up with her parents, younger brother and two older sisters. Cole was a very shy child and her mother, who is blind, was concerned when Cole’s school report indicated that she had not spoken to anyone for an entire year. Colé’s mother inspired her to sing to help build up her confidence. Colé got her first music award for singing and poetry at the age of 12 but it wasn’t until she was 14 that she sang on stage with a microphone for the first time. Her childhood friend, Antoinette Ridge, who was a talented singer, entered the two of them in a singing competition. Colé only entered to support her friend and was surprised when she got through to the final round of the competition and had to quickly learn another song during the break. Inspired by her friend, Colé sang with passion and confidence winning her first competition. For the first time Colé could communicate to the world and she experienced a special connection with the audience, which became her motivation to commit to the arts. With her positive attitude and sense of adventure, Colé enjoyed the wonderful opportunities she had been offered, and also created to realise her life goal of sharing love and light through music. To perform, connect, develop and grow as a person, travel many places, learn, share, and experience a closeness with the world while on her journey to self discovery. Her mission entertain, uplift and share positive energy and light to the world.
Colé got discovered by a manager when she sang at a wedding at age 17 and started touring South Africa as part of the KTV roadshow. She performed in SA, Namibia, Swaziland, England, Isle of Skye, The Mediterranean Islands and Seychelles singing at many music festivals including The Rand Easter show, The Rainbow show (Bloemfontein), Windhoek show, and most of the small town agricultural festivals in Namibia and South Africa. She performed at schools, birthday parties, corporate events, product launches, markets, theatres, and other venues, singing popular oldies to current cover songs, tribute shows, and later Eurovision covers and original self composed songs. Colé has performed solo, in girlbands and as part of musical theatre productions touring England and Scotland. She acted as Rhizzo in Grease The Musical, presented her own talk show ‘Mind body spirit’ on SKY TV in London with over a million viewers, and acted as Prince Harry’s girlfriend in the ITV documentary, ‘Prince Harry Laid bare”. In 2014 Colé was invited to perform at The Eurovision song contest in Copenhagen, Denmark in a diversity of languages, joining the stage with winners from 39 participating European countries. Her ESC covers album, Colé & friends, is an interesting compilation of songs in Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Tsonga, Russian, Latvian, Spanish and Yoruba. On her latest Duet album – a compilation of ESC collaborations with local and international artists – she co-wrote and sings in languages like Latvian, Yoruba, Thai, Tsonga, Spanish and Danish. One of the songs, MOLAYO (I have joy), won an award from Voices for charity, for Best International Collaboration. The songs features Gbenga Adenuga singing in Yoruba with Colé singing in Afrikaans. This is the only known collaboration between these two popular African languages.
Highlights of her career include performing at The Eurovision song contest in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2014 as the first South African artist to be officially booked to perform at this prestigious event that is hosted by a different European country each year. She acted and performed solo, duo or as lead role in musical theatre productions touring UK, Scotland, The Isle of Skye and The Mediteranian Islands; presented her own health talk show on SKY TV from London with over 1 million viewers, and acted as Prince Harry’s girlfriend in his ITV documentary as well as body double to the stars.
Colé’s story continues to grow and for the first time she is working on documenting some of her most precious and memorable life experiences.