For some, mastery of a musical instrument and a hit album would be satisfaction enough. Not for YolanDa Brown. This British musician, who’s garnered praise for her singular mix of jazz, soul and reggae, is fascinated by all manner of pursuits. It seems whatever she puts her hand to… she excels in.
Double MOBO award-winning YolanDa Brown is the premier female saxophonist in the UK and her Debut Album “April Showers May Flowers” was No1 on the iTunes and Amazon Jazz charts. She has toured with The Temptations, Diana Krall, Courtney Pine and Billy Ocean and collaborated with artists such as Mica Paris, Lemar, Matt Cardle, Reggae Legend Bob Marley’s son Julian Marley and as part of Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
She loves to race cars, fast cars! You can usually find her driving at a racing track on her days off. A broadcaster – working on TV and Radio, a Foodie and can complete a Rubik’s cube in under 5 minutes… on a good day! YolanDa has just had a radio show commissioned for British Airways starting in Nov 2016 called “Inflight Live Sessions”, where she interviews both established and emerging artists, followed by a performance and she is also currently writing her series of children’s books.
YolanDa graduated with a first class degree in Operations management from the University of Kent. She has 2 Masters and had been studying a PhD for four years at the University of Kent, before taking a hiatus from her thesis to pursue her music career. Brown was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by the University of East London and also invited to meet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. YolanDa Brown has played to Presidents and Heads of States and she is a celebrity ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, Children and the Arts, as well as the Mayor’s Music Fund.
2016 has seen YolanDa Brown on her biggest ever nationwide UK tour ‘Reggae Love Songs”, performing at her first BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and headlining at the Barbican for the London Jazz Festival.
YolanDa Brown is currently recording her sophomore album, “Love Politics War” due for release in 2017, which she says will be her best piece of work yet…
Looks like downtime is not on this lady’s agenda.
Support comes from Lucy Mae.
Jazz infused Soul & RnB (co written with French multi instrumentalist Luc Phan) Mae’s sound is unique. Described by critics as a revivalist and her music as ‘music for the soul’, her distinctive vocals are recognised instantly as she tells her audiences a story with autobiographical lyrics about life and the beauty and struggles that come with it.
This is a standing show.