New York’s Chris Oledude released “Rainbow Soul” on December 30th, a song originally written in 1984 during Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign. Oledude, born in Puerto Rico, grew up harmonizing with his brothers in a household filled with classical, folk, pop, funk, and protest music. His mother, the late Ethel Werfel Owens, was his first music teacher, and his father, the late Major R. Owens, was a librarian turned elected official. In the 1980s, Oledude performed on New York City streets and in dance bands with his brother Geoffrey Owens. His 1984 cassette, Anyone’s Revolution, caught the attention of folk icon Pete Seeger, who encouraged him to keep writing songs promoting peace and social justice. After 35 years focused on civic and political activism, the death of his father led him to form a band with his brothers, but it was the death of his wife, Sandra Dixon, that pushed him to reconnect with music in a new way. In 2020, reborn as “Chris Oledude“, he re-emerged blending old-school pop, funk, and R&B with contemporary urgency. His “George Floyd: Say Their Names” earned over 150 film festival accolades, and his 2025 debut album PREACHER MAN – VOL. 1 shows his range.
The original 1984 version of “Rainbow Soul” was inspired by Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition and the political frenzy in Brooklyn, NY. The lyrics include a phrase written by Oledude’s father, and over the years, he updated them to honor John Lewis. The 2025 version shifts from the original fast Gospel beat to a more funk-infused sound. The rainbow symbol now also supports LGBTQIA communities. Oledude says, “My lyrics are not specifically tailored to LGBTQIA issues, but I believe that supporting love and peace means supporting all people’s right to live and love freely.”
For this version of the song, Chris Oledude, along with the production team, created different groups of background vocalists and recorded multiple layers of each group to achieve the rich, gospel sound that an incredibly warm anthem about humanity like this one definitely needs. That gospel choir, alongside Chris’ vocals and the colorful instrumentation, creates the magic of unity in musical form. The rhythm section perfectly complements the energy of each section, but mostly keeps it safe to not outshine the choir.
The track was recorded at Mark Dann Studio in Woodstock, NY, and Sheriff Bob Studio in NYC, with Mark Dann handling recording and mastering. Featured background vocalist Kiena Williams leads a choir that includes Kelly Berman, Liz Dreyer, Judy Gorman, Pam Hamilton, Amy Kessler, and others. Beau Brady played drums, Greg DiBenedetto handled lead guitar, and Oledude programmed the instruments. Nearly 46 years after it was written, “Rainbow Soul” remains as relevant as it was in 1984, serving as an anthem for infusing policy and political decisions with humanity and love.