About
What’s Coko Up To? Find out Here
“There will always be an element of fantasy in pop music, pop culture and Hollywood, and I enjoy it as much as anyone else,”
Meet Coko Galore: indie-electronic songstress, style scene provocateuse, socially-conscious artist with a rare combo of brains, beat, and bravado.
A child of the 1980s with a global twist, Coko’s African-born father and Chinese-born mother exposed her early on to a range of different cultures and artistic traditions. Coko and her family lived in Hong Kong, China, Abidjon, Côte d’Ivoire, and London, England before settling in Canada at age 8. This unique background, as well as the multicultural flavour of her East End Toronto neighbourhood, provided Coko with eclectic inspiration as she began to explore literature, fashion, and art. However, it wasn’t until she was studying Gender Studies, Self and Identity and Philosophy at York University’s Glendon Campus that she was inspired to combine her diverse interests by pursuing her first love – making music.
“There will always be an element of fantasy in pop music, pop culture and Hollywood, and I enjoy it as much as anyone else,” she explains. “But as an artist, I wanted to explore how what was real, what was underneath the makeup and fantasy was just as beautiful. I [wanted to] approach all forms of art – music, writing, fashion – as things that help us celebrate what’s unique about us.”
Collaborating with friends in the fashion industry, indie and electronic music scenes, and Chinese-Canadian pop community, Coko soon forged a unique musical style that drew on her diverse interests and heritage. Her first album, I Am the Show, combines radio-friendly electro-pop melodies with smooth, jazzy vocals, beats inspired by old school hip-hop, and a literate, often biting feminist vision. The result is a giddy, girly tour through a musical imagination that is equal parts Cyndi Lauper and Sade; Bjork and Oscar Wilde, Kathleen Hannah and Margaret Cho. A welcome new addition to the catalogue of conscious songwriting, I Am The Show injects the tradition with wit, fun, and major style.
Currently promoting her album at gigs and showcases around Toronto, Coko is quickly gaining the attention of Toronto’s most stylish and musically savvy tastemakers. Like her songwriting, Coko’s live shows push the boundaries of pop performance with youth, energy and artistry. Cheeky backup dancers, costumes, and audience participation are staples at Coko’s concerts, and have made her a particular favorite among Toronto fashion insiders and the queer community. With her first single, “Those Girls”, climbing the electronic charts in Montreal and upcoming performances at the city’s renowned Pride festivities, Coko’s music is bound to generate even more buzz for its unique fusion of style and substance; consciousness and celebration.
Coko on the Loose
Coko at LG Fashion Week. Photo courtesy chickadvisor.com
Coko at Alternative Fashion Week Front Row. Courtesy dressedfordinner.files.wordpress.com
Coko on BlogTO for LG Fashion Week
