Iqua Colson facts for kids

Iqua Colson, born Kristine Browne on July 12, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, is an American singer, composer, and teacher. She is known for her work in jazz music and her efforts in arts education.

Early Life and Name

Iqua Colson started playing the piano when she was very young. When she was 19, a friend from Africa told her that "Iqua" was the name for female singers in his village. She liked the name and decided to use it.

Iqua went to Kenwood High School. Her music teacher there was Lena McLin, who was also a composer. Iqua later studied music at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University.

In 1975, she married Adegoke Steve Colson, who is a pianist. They moved to Montclair, New Jersey in 1982.

Music Career

Iqua Colson joined the Association for Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1972. The AACM is a group that supports creative music. She was one of the first women to be very active in the AACM.

The magazine DownBeat called her one of the 'AACM's Powerful Women'. She was also recognized by DownBeat as a "Vocal Talent Deserving Wider Recognition." The magazine Billboard praised her for her songwriting.

Iqua Colson sang with the Fred Anderson Sextet. This group included famous musicians like Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake. Other singers, like Dee Alexander, have said that Iqua Colson inspired them.

She has led bands at women’s jazz festivals. She also performs often with her husband, Adegoke Steve Colson. They play together in his Steve Colson Quartet and their own group, the Colsons Unity Troupe. Iqua Colson is still an active member of the AACM. She is seen as an important part of its history.

Arts Education Work

Iqua Colson has also worked a lot in arts education. In 1994, she became a music leader at the Washington Academy of Music in East Orange, New Jersey. Later, she became the coordinator for arts programs in the East Orange School District. She helped create new arts lessons and special projects.

She also helped start two special schools for the arts. These were the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts and the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts. She worked closely with actress Ms. Cicely Tyson to design the Tyson School campus, which opened in 2009.

Iqua Colson is a member of New Jersey's committee for arts education. She has also served on the boards of the Newark Arts Council and the Montclair Arts Council. She has a master's degree in Public Administration with a focus on Arts Administration from Seton Hall University. She works as a consultant, helping to use art to improve education and communities.

Discography with Adegoke Steve Colson

• Triumph! Silver Sphinx SS01
• No Reservation Black Saint BSR 0043
• Hope for Love Silver Sphinx SS12402
• Untarnished Dream Silver Sphinx SS12403
• Freedom Rhythm & Sound – Revolutionary Jazz and The Civil Rights Movement Soul Jazz Records SUR CD 219
• Triumph! (re-issue from Soul Jazz / London) Universal Sound US CD40