YolanDa Brown

YolanDa Brown, born to Jamaican parents in Barking, London, England (4 October 1982), is a British saxophonist and composer.
A past student of Bancroft's School, Beal High School, and the University of Kent, Kent Business School in Canterbury, England, and the University of Oviedo in Asturias, Spain. Her undergraduate Master's dissertation was on "Combining SSM (Soft systems methodology) and DESM (Discrete event simulation) in an Athletics Club." She also fronted a TV talk show on a Sky Channel and appeared in inspirational idents for BET network.(Black Entertainment Television)
Considered a brilliant saxophonist in the UK, Yolanda Brown’s sound is influenced primarily by the modal values of jazz, soul music and reggae. She is a 2008 MOBO "Best Jazz" winner and UMA nominee. In 2009, she became the first musician to not only be nominated in the "Best Jazz" category of the MOBOs in consecutive years, but also the first to win it two years running. In 2009 she also won "Best Jazz" at the UMAs.
A prolific collaborator, Brown has worked with musicians such as Jools Holland, Grammy Award-winners Morgan Heritage, Lemar, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, reggae legend Bob Marley’s son Julian Marley, Matt Cardle, Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes, The Floacist from the duo Floetry, Mica Paris, Omar Lye-Fook, Wretch 32 Sonny Bradshaw, Otis Williams and the The Temptations along with their legendary manager Shelly Berger.
Brown's pivotal performances of 2010 included an invitation to take part in PanJazz 2010 on its transfer from the Lincoln Center in New York to the UK. This saw her performing alongside musicians including Etienne Charles and Leon Foster Thomas. Her 19 November concert at IndigO2 at the O2 Arena, London continued her record of musically excellent and uniquely entertaining sold out events.
On 2 December 2010, Brown was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts by the University of East London in a ceremony at the Barbican Theatre, London.
For YolanDa music has always been a therapeutic and enabling force that promotes 360-degree communication and empowering links across all humankind. In striving to share and involve the many rather than an elite few through the wonder of music, she was honoured to become a Celebrity Ambassador for HRH The Prince of Wales and His Prince's Trust charity. She is an ambassador for the Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts.
She is a Yamaha-endorsed artist and was appointed the UK's class band ambassador in February 2011. Yamaha Class Band is a whole-class wind band teaching method, currently being piloted, until July 2012, in a collaboration between Yamaha UK and two of the UK's leading music services.
She is also a patron of the Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians, which provides outstanding progression and development opportunities to young people who demonstrate significant musical talent and commitment.
In February 2012 YolanDa released her first album. Remaining an independent artist, she kicked off a UK and overseas tour in support of the album with two benchmark concerts at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo accompanied by her full band and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. At the end of the year, April Showers, May Flowers featured as an album of the year on the UK iTunes "Best Jazz Album of 2012" list.
In addition, during 2016 YolanDa embarked upon her biggest and most extensive nationwide tour to date, featuring her musical hybrid programme entitled “Reggae Love Songs”. Yolanda’s Reggae Love Songs tour ran up to November 2016 when she returned to London to headline her own show at the Barbican Centre as a part of the London Jazz Festival to officially end the tour and reveal the title of her new album . In spring 2016, YolanDa Brown returned on selected dates as special guest during the UK leg of Billy Ocean’s “When The Going Gets Tough” 30th Anniversary tour.
Brown's sophomore album entitled Love Politics War is due for release in early 2017. The album will feature original compositions blending reggae, jazz and soul written and performed in YolanDa’s own style, labelled “Posh Reggae” by YolanDa Brown aficionados.
During 2017 YolanDa will tour her new album at home and abroad, and is already set to guest on tours by Billy Ocean and Sanchez (singer) as well as perform on a special British Airways flight to New Orleans for Mardi Gras to inaugurate the airlines new service to that city. Since November 2016 YolanDa has hosted and presented two inflight programmes series, one featuring live music performances and interviews, the other gospel music airing monthly on British Airways flights worldwide.

EPs and albums

• YolanDa Brown, Finding my voice(2007 CD - Blackgrape Productions)
• A Step Closer (2008 EP release – Black Grape Productions)
• April Showers, May Flowers (February 2012 Album release – Black Grape Records)
• April Showers, May Flowers-Live Sessions (May 2013 Album release CD/DVD – Black Grape Records)

Audited and Monitored chart position in the UK