YolanDa Brown the self taught saxophonist, singer, songwriter, pianist and drummer talks to Jane McGowan about her upcoming Reggae Love Songs tour and why she swapped management for music. The tour stops at GLive on April 27
If you are talking about talent, YolanDa Brown has it by the bucketload. Not content with a brace of MOBO – Music of Black Origin – Awards for her work as a self-taught saxophonist, she is also an accomplished singer, songwriter, pianist and drummer, who just happens to have a PhD in management consultancy too.
Right now she is concentrating on her upcoming nationwide tour, Reggae Love Songs, which hits GLive on April 27. All the concerts feature guest artists, ranging from Reggae Reggae Sauce creator Levi Roots to former Destiny’s Child vocalist Michelle Williams. For the Guildford show, YolanDa will be joined by soul chanteuse Mica Paris.
“I love to collaborate with other artists on stage,” she says. “It’s great having people up there with me to share in the moment.”
YolanDa Brown was born in Barking, East London in 1983 into a family that loved all types of music, but were not themselves musicians. Like many children, she tried her hand at several instruments before settling on the saxophone, aged 14.
“It just felt right,” she recalls. “Very soulful. It felt like an extension of me; absolutely my natural instrument.”
Despite her obvious talent, however, YolanDa was uncertain as to whether or not music would be her career, studying for a degree, masters and PhD before fully committing to life as a professional musician.
“It was always just a hobby,” she explains. “I thought that I was going to be a management consultant, so off I went to university.”
She continued to perform, however, and gradually the music won out over a career in the City.
“After completing my PhD, I had the chance to make life choices again and I realised that the drive to perform and make music was pulling me more.”
Now, in the space of just a few short years, she has become a real force to be reckoned with. She won Best Jazz Act at both the 2008 and 2009 MOBOs, while her first album April Showers, May Flowers, released in 2012, topped both the iTunes and Amazon jazz charts.
Her music is an eclectic mix, embracing everything from trad jazz to grime, by way of soul, reggae and pop. And with an album coming later this year, Brown says that the tour will offer a sneak preview of some of the new material.
“The album is an expression of love for all different types of music. Now I just want to get out there and perform. That’s the best bit for me; I love every minute.”
Indeed, her live shows are famed for their energy, leaving audiences elated and clamouring for more.
“They’re just great fun – explosive,” she enthuses. “Interactive too – you can’t just sit there and clap at the end of the song. We want you to get up and dance. That’s what I’ll be doing all night.”
Sounds like a plan.
YolanDa Brown is at GLive on April 27. Tickets: glive.co.uk
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