Peter Cole

Peter Barchue Cole, aka Tonton Peter, is a Liberian artist, musician, composer, and producer living in Dakar, Senegal. After several migrations because of civil conflicts in Liberia and the Ivory Coast, Peter settled in Dakar. From Gbarnga to Monrovia, the Ivory Coast and Senegal, he is most recognized by his favorite instrument: the guitar. But his performance skills also include piano, singing, and arrangement. Peter’s care for social issues like children’s rights, gender-based violence, and public health has always been connected to his musicianship. He is a founding member of the Bosco Beat Band. The band provided entertainment in the Monrovia enclave during the Liberian civil war. As well as entertainment, the band also raised awareness about the plight of street children. They were easily manipulated into child soldiers during the civil war. Some of them were trained to play musical instruments through the help of UNICEF and the Don Bosco Homes. During the making of a documentary for the ICRC, Peter met Youssou Ndour of Senegal. The documentary was to demand greater respect for civilians during armed conflicts. When Peter fled to the Ivory Coast to escape more fighting in Liberia, Youssou Ndour invited him to Senegal and produced his second album “Stay Alive”. Because of looting during the civil war in Liberia, Peter has no copy of his first album, “Be Awake”. When socio-political unrest started in the Ivory Coast, Peter moved finally to Senegal. He has long been an integral part of the Prince Arts Studio in Dakar. Alongside UNMIL, Peter used his music to speak against and educate about rape and gender-based violence. With UNICEF and other Organizations, he created awareness about polio and malaria in Liberia. He was a part of the UNHCR sponsored “Refugee Voices – Building Bridges” project. With other refugee artists, funds were raised for refugees’ education. “Rebirth” and “Nerfertitus” are Peter’s third and fourth albums. He is currently working on a fifth album. He performs several times every week in Dakar. Peter is also a vocal coach, artistic director, and judge of Prince Arts’s Sen Petit Gallé television show. The show brings together contestants from Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania, aged ten to sixteen years.