Life & Work with Colle Kharis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colle Kharis. They and their team share their story with us below:

Colle’ Kharis (pronounced Colley Karis) is a reggae artist hailing from the small country of Guyana, South America. In 1990, he immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, with his family. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Air Force. While serving in the U.S. military as a Ground Radar Systems Specialist (electronics technician), he began recording his debut album, “Defined Versatility,” which he co-produced with Kelby Walker (Wiz) of Distant Pham. Colle’ Kharis’ first notable performance was as the headliner for Jamaican reggae artist Wayne Wonder. The following year he would continue headlining for many popular Hip-hop artists such as Slick Rick, Mr. Cheeks, Pastor Troy, Chamillionaire, Lil’ Flip, Roy Jones Jr., and more.

It is no small coincidence that his stage name, “Colle’ Kharis,” is a byproduct of his birth name, Colin Harris, also known as Dr. Colin A. Harris. He currently resides in the Tampa, Florida, area.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Once he relocated to New York, Colle’ Kharis started taking music much more seriously than in Guyana, mainly because Guyana did not have the infrastructure to support musicians. Within a year of arriving in N.Y., he had relative success booking shows, which led to him securing a record deal with Trackmasters, one of the world’s most prominent Hip-Hop production companies. However, after just a few months, Trackmasters decided to focus on creating beats and released all of their artists. Shortly after joining the United States Air Force, he started recording music, released his first album, and performed at several events. However, there were many limitations on Colle´ Kharis’ music career. For example, one of the Air Force’s core values is “Service before self.” Ethically, the Air Force should not truly expect service members to put the Air Force above themselves. Still, on a fundamental level, this core value holds some truth. Consequently, many creative and artistic service members either abandon their creative ambitions altogether or must wait until separating from the service to pursue creative paths fully. For Colle’ Kharis, putting his music career on the back burner was a sacrifice that had to be made as his military duties were the priority, especially since it was his primary source of income. Additionally, he had the added responsibility of a wife and child.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

Colle’ Kharis is currently riding the waves of the buzz surrounding his new single, Johnny Don’t Cry. Since its release in May of 2022, he has been the featured artist on over 30 radio stations globally, including Guyana, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

For the past seven weeks, Johnny Don’t Cry held the number one spot on Dynasty Radio in New York City. Johnny Don’t Cry, the first single on his new album (name to be determined), is projected to be released in spring 2023. A native of Bachelor’s Adventure, a small village adjacent to Melanie Damishana on the Eastern Coast of Guyana, he moved with his family to New York City in 1990. Colle’ Kharis later served six years in the United States Air Force, then became a dedicated Federal Aviation Administration civil service member, working as an Airways Transportation System Specialist (Electronics Engineering Technician) in Orlando, then Tampa, Florida. He is currently working as a full-time recording artist.

Colle’ Kharis earned an Associate of Applied Science in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and dual associate degrees from Northwest Florida State College in General Studies and Industrial Management Technology. In 2005, he accepted a civil servant job at the Department of Defense in the Florida Panhandle. In 2008, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Technology from Excelsior College. In late 2008, Colle´ Kharis began working at the Federal Aviation Administration in Orlando, Florida, as an Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (Electronics Engineering Technician). In 2010, he received a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Troy University. While working as a Systems Specialist for the FAA, Colle’ Kharis pursued a Specialist degree in Education with a specialty in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of West Florida. He completed his Specialist degree in 2018. In 2018, Colin Harris accepted an interagency position as a Systems and Security Specialist. In 2021, he received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Instruction and Performance Technology from The University of West Florida.

Colle’ Kharis’ interest in music began growing up in Guyana and watching his father sitting in front of his turntable and playing his collection of vinyl records – having to flip the record to the other side after just one song or to another vinyl record. This interest evolved into a full-blown passion after watching several Sunsplash and Sting reggae music festivals on VHS. He started writing lyrics to the instrumentals side of his father’s size 45 vinyl records. Colle’ Kharis explained, “to put my vocal on the beat; I took a cassette recorder over to one of the speakers, then simultaneously sang with the instrumental as the cassette recorder simultaneously captured my voice and the speaker’s output. I even recall my first microphone, which I created by repurposing an old small speaker. Looking back, I guess that would be my first experience with audio engineering as today I self-engineer most of my recording sessions.”

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Colle’ Kharis grew up a happy child with four brothers and one sister. His father was a Sergeant in Guyana’s Defense Force. He was a notorious prankster and jokester to whomever he considered a friend or family. “Roasting” each other was the norm in his household. “I would say this has become a central part of my personality,” said Colle’ Kharis.

Contact Info:

• Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/collekharis