A Grammy award winner, Multi-time Grammy nominee, master drummer and skilled arranger. He draws inspiration from a long line of highly skilled Boricua Pioneers who performed in local, military and jazz bands. His sonic roots - African, Indigenous and European - have been brewing for years and have come together to create a unique, mestizo sound.

Henry Cole became the first Puerto Rican resident on the island - and the second nationwide - to receive the prestigious "New Jazz Works" Grant from the Chamber Music of America for his work as a composer with his group Villa Locura. Cole is also the first Puerto Rican percussionist who has published columns and master classes for “Down Beat Magazine".

A native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Cole started playing the piano at the age of four and fell in love with the drums at the age of nine. The musical romance led to La Escuela Libre de Música de Mayaguez and the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Initially inspired by Latin percussionists Giovanni Hidalgo and Anthony Carrillo, Cole discovered a passion for Jazz and improvised music while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. After moving back to Puerto Rico, Cole cultivated a reputation in Old San Juan's diverse music scene, working with poets, rappers, Bomba musicians, Pleneros, Rockers, and Salsa ringleaders.

In the fall of 2003 Cole moved to New York City to attend the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where he received a scholarship to study with drummer and composer John Riley and quickly became one of the most in-demand sidemen.