Cos Natola

Cos Natola is an award-winning Canadian pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger, actor, and playwright from Vancouver, British Columbia. After winning numerous music competitions as a teenager, Natola took the Grand Prize at the Esso Talent Festival held at the Pacific National Exhibition, and telecast live by CBC Television. Later, following the suggestion of Canadian music legend Juliette, Natola entered the Du Maurier Search For Stars Competition held in Toronto, (also telecast on CBC Television). After adjudicators selected 720 professional entrants from thousands of screened applicants from all across Canada, Natola was named as a Top-18 semifinalist, and eventually was declared an overall winner. These awards led to more appearances on CBC TV, including Timmy's Christmas Telethon, Dr. Bundolo, The Bob MacLean Show, New Year's Eve Live, and Vancouver Breakfast, and Natola shared the stage with many artists including Bobby Hales, Shari Lewis, Jim Carrey, Vikki Carr, Bob McLean, Pat Boone, Paul Williams (songwriter), Louise Mandrell, Patsy Gallant, Johnny Ferreira, Leon Bibb, members of the famed Boss Brass, Dal Richards. Red Robinson, Rick Honey, Iona Campagnolo and others. These appearances garnered positive reviews in both provincial as well as national publications. Natola also maintains a very busy recording career. His first single featured two original songs, Think of Me, & More Today Than Yesterday, and was soon followed by his first album, Dreams Never Die. His second album was entitled The Immigrant, and its title track reached Number 1 on the hit parade of WEAW Chicago. Natola's next album was called A Hopeless Romantic. RCA Records then released a Cos Natola single: Tutta La Vita & Being Free. His next album was entitled On The Third Day, and was followed by two children's albums. Many of Natola's recordings appear on four compilations: Reflections, Now and Then. Teaching Thru Song, and On The Third Day (all available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Youtube, Cd Baby, Amazon, etc...) Two later releases were Torch, followed by Romeo and Juliet, a concept album based on Cos Natola's two act musical adaptation of the great Shakespeare classic play. The EP Single, The Show Must Go On was released in 2015. And in August of the same year (2015), From The Heights, an album of eleven songs co-written alongside author Mark Anthony Brennan was released internationally. A second collaboration with Brennan saw the 2017 release of Welcome To the Menagerie. A British Columbia Love Story was released in 2018, and represents the third Brennan/Natola joint effort. 2020 saw the release of five Natola albums, My Italian Heart, Prose In Sonic Motion (A Collection of Music From Cos Natola Plays - Volumes 1, 2 & 3), and Sleepy Hollow: A Musical Adaptation. The Prose In Sonic Motion compilations contain 140 tracks that cover all the instrumental background and vocal selections composed for twelve of Cos's original plays. Cos Natola's first novel, Homeless, is also available internationally online. Natola sang the songs appearing in the Len Kowalewich feature film Dead Wrong, and the movie went on to garner numerous Genie Award nominations, including Best Music. He later composed soundtrack source music for the Rex Bromfield feature film, Cafe Romeo, which later appeared in his 2020 release, the aforementioned My Italian Heart. Natola was also commissioned to compose the musical score for Thysia Productions brand new feature film Anacka's Eyes which is still in pre-production, and he has also appeared on the popular CW-TV series Aliens in America. Among Natola's fondest studio memories are the times he worked alongside his mentor (as Natola, himself refers to him), composer and producer Bobby Hales on projects such as jingles, documentary film soundtracks, and, of course, music for the long running CBC-TV series The Beachcombers. Charity work has always been a priority for Cos Natola, and he has often given his time to organizations such as CUSO, the Lions Club, and numerous other fund raising societies. Natola has also supported Harmony In Action, a movement which proudly features the multi-cultural diversity of Canada. Natola continues to perform, compose, arrange, and produce recording sessions. He has also become an avid playwright, and many of his scripts have been performed to favourable reviews. These productions include Snow White (an opera for children), The Girls of St. Mary's Trilogy, Casa Leoni, Homeless, Once Upon a Love, Wendy: A Peter Pan Story, The Immigrant, Hoedown, My Father's Son, When the Wind Blows Westward, Manila, Titanic: The Aftermath (featured on VTV's Vancouver Breakfast Show), Four Seasons, Save the Nugget, Murder at Baxter Manor, Sleepy Hollow (a musical adaptation for children), The Apple Tree, Study Hall, and The Red Dress. Natola also scripted a play entitled "What is Canada?", and this was featured on CBC TV (using youth actors under the direction of the playwright) as part of an anti-racism television series. In November 2000, Natola was named Musical Director of the Christ The King Jubilee Catholic Mass Celebration held at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum (attended by over 16,000 people). This celebration of liturgy was one of the largest events ever staged by the Vancouver Archdiocese. Natola played the piano, conducted the ensemble, and arranged and orchestrated all of the selections which were performed by a 250 voice choir and orchestra. In 2008, Natola once again led the musical forces at General Motors Place when the Vancouver Archdiocese celebrated its One Hundred Year Anniversary.