YolanDa Brown

Born to Jamaican parents (her mother was a headteacher, while her father was an advertising executive) in Barking, Essex, England, YolanDa grew up in Gants Hill in the London Borough of Redbridge.[2][1][3] YolanDa's childhood dream was to become a racing car driver.[4][5]

A past student of Bancroft's School and the sixth form at Beal High School, where she became Head Girl,[6] YolanDa went on to study at the University of Kent, Kent Business School in Canterbury.[4] She also spent a year as an Erasmus student at the University of Oviedo in Asturias, Spain.[7]

Her Master's dissertation was on "Combining SSM (Soft systems methodology) and DESM (Discrete event simulation)". She graduated with a First Class degree. Yolanda gained a further Masters in Methods of Social Research, followed by 4 years of PhD study in management science, before taking a hiatus from her thesis on “Multi Methodology” to pursue her music career.[4]

Her sound is a fusion of reggae, jazz and soul. She is the 2008 MOBO "Best Jazz" [8] and UMA winner.

In 2009, YolanDa 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.[4]

A prolific collaborator, Brown has worked with musicians including Billy Ocean, 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 and Wretch 32. She has toured with Diana Krall, Errol Brown, Beverley Knight and The Temptations.

YolanDa is a Yamaha Artist[9] and was appointed the UK's Class Band Ambassador in February 2011. Yamaha Class Band is a whole-class wind band teaching method, which piloted up until July 2012, in a collaboration between Yamaha UK and two of the UK's leading music services.[10]

In February 2012 YolanDa released her first album “April Showers May Flowers”. 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, it was featured as an album of the year on the UK iTunes "Best Jazz Album of 2012" list.

Brown's sophomore album entitled Love Politics War was released on 16 June 2017. The album features original compositions blending reggae, jazz and soul written and performed in YolanDa’s own style, labelled somewhat tongue in cheek as “Posh Reggae”.[11] It was her first album to be made available not only as a CD and download but also on vinyl.

In January 2017, YolanDa was named as the celebrity ambassador for the Greater London Assembly and ABRSM "Learn Music London” Campaign.[12][13] During 2017 YolanDa toured her new album at home and abroad, as well as performing on a special British Airways flight to New Orleans for Mardi Gras[14] to inaugurate the airline's new service to that city.

In the same year, YolanDa was also a presenter on several television programmes transmitted as a part of the BBC Proms offerings, including a special Proms tribute to jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, in the centenary year of their births and the Last Night of the Proms from Around the UK. Television exposure continued into 2018 to include appearances on the BBC’s Celebrity Eggheads and Celebrity Mastermind. In November of that year, YolanDa also co-presented the BBC Young Jazz Musician finals, which was transmitted on BBC Four.[15]

Brown in 2018

In January 2018 YolanDa Brown embarked on a world tour, in celebration of her 10 Year anniversary in music. Her tour covered many new territories, including Australia, Martinique, Barbados, Morocco, Germany and Spain.

YolanDa's 20 episode BBC series,"YolanDa's Band Jam"[16] began transmission on CBeebies on 26 January 2019. The show consists of YolanDa inviting star guests to play along with a live audience of children aged five to seven.[1]

On New Year's Eve 2019, she appeared on the BBC's Jools' Annual Hootenanny, performing "I Put a Spell on You" with Kelly Jones and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" with Rick Astley.[17][18]

In January 2018, YolanDa was appointed Chair of Youth Music, a national charity investing in music-making projects for children and young people experiencing challenging circumstances.[19][1] She was the keynote speaker at Music Mark in November 2018[20] Music Mark is the biggest music education conference held annually in the UK.

Since 2017 YolanDa has been a BBC Music Ambassador. She is also a celebrity ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, Children & the Arts, Plan UK, World Child Cancer and London Music Fund.

The YolanDa Brown Music Award in conjunction with the University of East London provides financial support specifically to final year students studying BSc (Hons) Music Technology or BA (Hons) Music Production and Culture at UEL. The award is available to up to four UEL students and provides them with funds toward studio time or music equipment. This was the first project from the YolanDa Brown Foundation.

The Drake YolanDa Award[21] has been created to support emerging artists across the UK on their musical journey. Philanthropist and Entrepreneur James Drake and Saxophonist and Broadcaster YolanDa Brown will award artists who express a commitment to their careers and demonstrate creative excellence and a drive to succeed.

In May 2018 YolanDa launched The London Saxophone Festival, an annual celebration of the saxophone through concerts, film, workshops and more.Featured artists included Bob Reynolds from Snarky Puppy and Casey Benjamin from the Robert Glasper Experiment [1] The second edition took place in June 2019 and the 2020 edition was postponed as a result of COVID-19.

YolanDa continues as a regular guest presenter on BBC Radio 4’s program Loose Ends with Clive Anderson. She also presented a documentary on Williams Syndrome[22] for the station. YolanDa has two radio shows currently running on British Airways flights across the world called “Inflight Live Sessions” and “The Gospel Show”

YolanDa has made several appearances on television at home and abroad including BBC Breakfast (BBC One), The Wright Stuff (Channel 5), Sunday Brunch (Channel 4), Songs of Praise (BBC ONE), Vintage TV Sessions (Vintage TV), Let's Go Club (CBeebies) and Newsnight.

YolanDa’s role as a television presenter in 2017 saw her fronting several television programs transmitted as a part of the BBC Proms offerings that year, including a special Proms tribute to jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, in the centenary year of their births and The Last Night of the Proms from Around the UK. She also presented an episode of Vintage Sessions on Vintage TV.

During 2018 YolanDa co-presented the 2018 edition of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year for television, transmitted on BBC 4.[23] In the same year, apart from interviews across the world whilst on tour, she appeared on a number of bespoke and established UK television programs. They included guesting on editions of Celebrity Mastermind, Gareth Malone’s All-Star Music Quiz, and an episode of Celebrity Eggheads.

Across television and radio, YolanDa has interviewed Gregory Porter, Frank Skinner, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Lauren Child, Liam Charles, Amanda Abbington, Adrian Dunbar, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Ruthie Henshall to name a few.

YolanDa’s television work continues into 2019 when her 20 episode BBC series,"YolanDa's Band Jam"[24] began transmission on CBeebies on 26 January 2019. A second series has been commissioned, scheduled for transmission in 2020. From the 30th of May 2020, she can be found on the UK's Jazz FM at 2 pm (Sky channel 0202) every Saturday.

YolanDa lives in Chigwell with her husband, a music promoter & restaurateur, and their daughters, Jemima and Adelphi.[5][1]

She is a motor racing enthusiast, loves football and supports Newcastle United.

Audited and Monitored chart position in the UK

• Official website
• YolanDa Brown on Saturday on Jazz FM
• Drake YolanDa Award Website
• London Saxophone Festival Website
• YolanDa Brown on BBC Woman's Hour, February 2012
• YolanDa Brown interview by Pete Lewis, Blues & Soul, June 2009.