10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, August 13, 2021
music
Artist spotlight: Alia Coley
By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
IT’S hard to believe today that Alia Coley, who has sung back-up vocals for major recording stars such as Patti LaBelle, BeBe Winans, Kelly Roland, Michael McDonald, Boyz II Men and Yolanda Adams, once used to be afraid to perform in front of an audience. But shying away from people who wanted to hear her sing was how this Bahamian artist actually got her start, at the tender age of six. “It all started when one day my neighbours were having a party and they asked me to sing for them....I was so shy that I sang for them (hiding) under the dining room table, and the rest is history,” she told Tribune Weekend. After graduating high school, Alia
decided to further her craft by attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Upon her return from college, she became one of the lead vocalists for an inter-cultural show called “Caribe”. Then, she started singing at numerous hotels, including Sandals Royal Bahamian, Sandals Emerald Bay, Atlantis and Breezes. Alia released her debut album in 2005 entitled “Feel My Heart”. This was followed by her sophomore record in 2010 entitled “Unfadeable”. Over the years, she has grown tremendously from her humble beginnings of singing her heart out in church, to now being an established musician carving her own path. And she is doing so with the help
of her latest song, “Favor”. “I am so excited about this song and pray that it will be an inspiration to many. Stay tuned for that,” she said. Beyond the songs she performs and the longevity of her career, Alia is delighted to see her legacy cemented by her daughter, Almika Cates, who has now started following in her footsteps. “I came from a family of entertainers. My mother Corine Harris, also known as ‘Shalimar’, was one of the top fire dancers in the country and travelled the world representing the Bahamas. But what a lot of people didn’t know was that she had the voice of an angel,” said Alia. Her uncle Glen Nottage was described as an “energetic and suave entertainer”, while her cousin Sunny Johnson had a voice that was said to be “out of this world”.
“Years later my daughter Almika Cates discovered her gift of singing and decided to pursue it as a career in 2016. I was so elated that she took this endeavour and allowed her gifts to make way for her. She can sing her butt off. She has mad vocal skills and can soothe you with jazz vocals, from Natalie Cole to R&B. It’s such a blessing to see her make her mark as an artist and establish her own sound,” said Alia. There is a possibility of a future collaboration between the motherdaughter duo, but in the meantime, Alia said she will keep making music that moves people in every way possible.
