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Subie Coleman

Subie Coleman's a Granny. Wee Faith was born in September 2007 and is already showing signs of beauty and cheekiness that would bring a smile to an angry man's face. Subie can't stop smiling.

Before she was a granny Subie was a mother. Astro is a beautiful daughter and a mate to Subie.

Subie is a star student. This year she got distinctions in every module on her arts course at Edinburgh's Telford College. Tough times at Leith Academy feel like a long time ago and a thousand miles away.

Subie's a real community activist. Fighting for what’s right and supporting others especially young people to have their say on what's right is what Subie has been doing for twenty years in Granton. She’s now settling back into Leith just along the road.

Subie's an artist. Her pictures and images capture people, places and events from her life and times in Leith and Granton, and re-imagine them in deep reds and pinks and gold. Paintings with soul.

Subie loves music. From a love affair with Northern Soul in 1970s Leith Subie now spreads love by singing soulful jazz and jazzy soul. A star of Midnight Blue at Café Graffiti and one of Edinburgh's Sister Soul (along with Nikki King, Cathie Rae and DJ Tinku) Subie's individual performances include her deeply felt versions of soul and jazz greats. Songs of Esther Phillips have become a special part of Subie’s performances all over Scotland. Funky gutbucket Use Me; sophisticated soul jazz funk disco extravaganza What a Difference a Day Makes; and heartbreaking deep soul drugs tragedy Home Is Where the Hatred Is are only three of the Esther Phillips tracks that Subie loves to share.

In this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe Subie performs an entire show dedicated to the memory of Esther Phillips. She tells Esther’s story and sings the shit out of Esther's songs. There's some hard sad and bad bits to that story and some "turn your sick soul inside out" moments to sing about. But ultimately this is one great woman telling another great woman's story set against a fabulous musical backdrop. Subie can’t stop smiling.