Carol Gonzalez knows exactly what it means to represent. A former resident magistrate, she made a dramatic resignation from the bar last year September, but in her chosen field, she is aware that she still "deh yah fi represent".

Gonzalez... the crowd showed a lot of love and the band was awesome

From the stage to the bench and back, Carol Gonzalez' story is the type of which movies are made and which secures one an interview on Profile or the big 'O'.

"Oprah is interested in doing an interview," Carol's manager Tyehimba Kafele told Sunday Observer, but she wouldn't give away any details.
Many of Carol's colleague magistrates are still agog over her decision to give up what they see as 'everything' for a "mere career in music". However, after five minutes with Carol, it's easy to see why she made that choice. Her persona seems grounded in a kind of spirituality that can only be set free through artistic expression.

And just how is she enjoying her sojourn in music?

"Sojourn," she quizzes with that infectious smile and drawing out the syllables, "my sojourn was in law. I am living now," she says quite matter of fact.

And it is obvious that Carol is living and enjoying life to the fullest. She gets excited about her gigs and is full of praise for the people who help to propel her career in the right direction. Fresh from her performance at Western Consciousness, she admitted that she was happy at the reception.

"The crowd showed a lot of love and the band was awesome. SANE was good . no they were great. They took the time to get the music right and they were patient. It was just a wonderful experience all round. It was what you would call symbiotic," she enthused.

And yes, she would definitely 'steal' them from Western Consciousness promoter, Worrel King, she confided mischieviously.

Approaching her music career with the same level of professionalism that she did the bar, Carol is now in preparation mode for her summer schedule which is becoming quite hectic. "I have a new personal trainer, Jackie Cuthbert, and she is mean," Carol laughed.

Among the upcoming performances that she is preparing for, is the New Orleans Unity Jam: The International Reggae Festival at the Tad Gorley Stadium, August 1 - 3. In addition to Carol, the other acts scheduled to perform are Half Pint, Everton Blender, Rocky Dawuni, Trinity, Gyptian, Meshach, Osezua and Boom Shaka.

Another post Hurricane Katrina relief project, the three-day festival will use Half Pint's song Victory as the theme song for the event which proposes to help in bringing awareness to the food shortage crisis in the area.

"Each day they will collect food to assist area food banks to feed the hungry," Carol stated.

The festivities begin August 1 as the event pays homage to those in need with a foreword from relief organisation, Second Harvest on the importance of festival support such as Unity Jam. The event moves on with international sounds of Rocky Dawuni, the African artiste also known as the "Bob Marley of Ghana," and the high-energy performance of Jamaica's Everton Blender. Local female reggae group Trinity is also slated to open the show.

Saturday, August 2 and Sunday August 3 promise more of the same featuring Carol Gonzalez, Meshach, Osezua, Gyptian and headliner Half Pint.

"I'm working hard to get in shape," Carol said, "because I'm going to New Orleans to represent."

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