Rolando Ephraim McLean (born 1 October 1970), better known as Yami Bolo, is a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

singer.

Biography

Yami Bolo grew up in postal zone 13 of Kingston. His first professional job and exposure was with

Sugar Minott Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...

's Youth Promotion Crew. His first singles were released in 1986, produced by Minott, and he had his greatest success working with

Augustus Pablo Horace Swaby (21 June 1953 – 18 May 1999),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 200-202 known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer and a multi-instrumentalist, active f ...

in the late 1980s and early 1990s, on singles such as "Struggle in Babylon". In 1994, Bolo earned international acclaim from his collaboration with Japanese reggae performer, Kazafumi Mizayawa (Miya). Their ''Love Is Dangerous'' album sold 500,000 units in Japan. In addition, the duo's "Miya-Yami Project" earned the Japanese "Best Music Video '94" title. He contributed to

Damian Marley Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer, lyricist and rapper. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards. Early life, education and family Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae musician Bob Marle ...

's 2001

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

winning album ''Halfway Tree'' (2002 Best Reggae Album). Bolo has collaborated with some of reggae's most prominent artists and producers; including

Tenor Saw Clive Bright (2 December 1966 – August 1988), better known as Tenor Saw, was a Jamaican dancehall singjay in the 1980s, considered one of the most influential singers of the early digital reggae era. His best-known song was the 1985 hit "Rin ...

Capleton Clifton George Bailey III (born 13 April 1967),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 67–69 better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as Kin ...

Tapper Zukie Tapper Zukie (or Tappa Zukie) (born David Sinclair, 1955, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae deejay and producer.Greene, Jo-AnnTapper Zukie Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-02-15 Biography Tapper was the nickname given to him by his grandmoth ...

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separa ...

, and

King Jammy Lloyd James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub ma ...

's Studios. His success as a reggae artist has allowed him to record many songs professing the Rastafarian faith as taught by the

Ethiopian Orthodox Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...

throughout his three decades in the reggae industry. Yami Bolo has been performing Rastafarian works since the mid-1980s touring with many different reggae groups including Augustus Pablo's Rockers crew. His Rastafarian inspired music is listened to around the world, particularly in reggae niche markets like Japan, Australia, Britain, France, USA and Germany. As an ambassador for reggae, Yami Bolo conducted Rastafari cultural studies at world-renowned universities, like SUNY in New York State and

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In addition, Yami Bolo has supported the city of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and its surrounding areas by volunteering his musical talent at live performances in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

in the Summer of 2009. In 2014 he was reportedly recording a new album, to be called ''The Singer''.

Discography

;Albums * ''Jah Made Them All'' (Rockers, 1990) * ''He Who Knows It Feels It'' (Heartbeat, 1991) * ''Up Life Street'' (Heartbeat, 1992) * ''Fighting for Peace'' (RAS, 1994) * ''Wonders and Sign'' (Super Power, 1997) * ''Wisdom Cry'' (IMAJ, 1998) * ''No Surrender'' (Jet Star Records, 1998) * ''Jah Love'' (VP Records, 1998) * ''Freedom and Liberation'' (Tabou 1, 1999) * ''Healing of All Nations'' (Roots Foundation, 2001) ;EPs * ''Blood Diamonds Dub Set'' (Gold Moor Sound, 2008) ;Singles * "Blood Diamonds" (Gold Moor Sound, 2008) * "Bloody Coltan" (Gold Moor Sound, 2011)

References

External links

*
Yami Bolo discography
at Discogs

official web site

official web site
Bloody Coltan
official web site {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolo, Yami 1970 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians VP Records artists

Biography

Discography

See also

References

External links