Yami Bolo

Rolando Ephraim McLean (born 1 October 1970), better known as Yami Bolo, is a Jamaican reggae singer. Yami Bolo grew up in postal zone 13 of Kingston and started releasing singles at the age of 11: his first professional job and exposure was with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion Crew. His first singles were released in 1986, and he had his greatest success working with Augustus Pablo in the late 1980s and early 1990s, on singles such as "Struggle in Babylon". His success as a reggae artist has allowed him to record many songs professing the Rastafarian faith as taught by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church 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.

In addition, Yami Bolo has supported the city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas by volunteering his musical talent at live performances in Louisiana in the summer of 2009. In 2014 he was reportedly recording a new album, to be called The Singer.... (Read more

AllMusic adds that "Bolo believes that he has been divinely called to make himself and his entourage revolutionary soldiers of the Almighty on a mission to spread their message of love, peace, and hope to the entire world with their performances and recordings. He is particularly interested in uplifting the youth songs that warn against violence such as 'Gun War.' [1]

Links to Peel

The 1998 single Richer Than Cory (based on the Them/Van Morrison song 'Richard Cory') is the penultimate disc in John Peel's Record Box. John espoused hopes that his plays of Jah Jah Love in the latter part of 2002 might have propelled the song into the Festive Fifty: this proved to be either a blindside or optimism. Certainly, the fact that he recommended Bolo tracks three times in his 2002 record boxes and the LP Healing Of All Nations was found in his Record Collection after his death gives some indication of the respect the DJ accorded to Bolo's work.

Festive Fifty Entries

• None
  

Sessions

• None

Other Shows Played

1988

• 01 June 1988: Ransom Of A Man's Life (7") Message
• 04 June 1988 (BFBS): Ransom Of A Man's Life (album - Ransom) GREL 25

1990

• 31 July 1990: 'Poor Man's Cry (7")' (Rockers International)
• 22 August 1990: 'Poor Man's Cry (7")' (Rockers International)
• 24 August 1990 (BFBS): 'Poor Man's Cry (7")' (Rockers International)

1991

• 19 January 1991: Struggle In Babylon (7") Rockers International
• 27 January 1991: 'Struggle In Babylon (7")' (Rockers International)
• 01 March 1992: 'It's Not Surprising (Groove Musik?Grove Music/Parson Pickney) (7” (pre-release))

1992

• 08 March 1992: 'It's Not Surprising (7")' (Parson Pickney)
• 21 March 1992: 'Iniquity Workers (LP-up Life Street)' (Leggo)
• 17 May 1992 (BFBS): 'The Glock War, Gun War (7")' (Yam Euphony Music)
• 09 May 1992: 'Waiting For A Sound (7")' (Rockers International) with Blacka T
• DW Tape 19: 'Waiting For A Sound (7")' (Rockers International) with Blacka T
• 23 May 1992: 'The Glock War, Gun War (7")' (Yam Euphony Music) (JP: 'What on earth can a glock war be? Somebody listening must know. Write in and tell me, I have no idea.')
• 24 July 1992: 'Joe The Boss (7")' (Tappa)
• DW Tape 8: 'Be Still (LP-Cool And Easy)' (Tappa)
• 04 August 1992 (Ö3): 'Joe The Boss (7")' (Tappa)
• 06 August 1992 (Radio Mafia): 'Joe The Boss (7") (Tappa)
• 07 August 1992: 'Joe The Boss (7") (Tappa)
• 08 August 1992: 'Be Still (LP-Cool And Easy)' (Tappa)
• 12 December 1992: 'Ease Up The Pressure (12")' (Exterminator)

1993

• 22 May 1993: 'Leave Out The Badness (7")' (Exterminator)
• 02 July 1993: ‘Ghetto Youth (You Have To Make It) (7")' (Yam Euphony Music)
• 03 July 1993: ‘Jah Love Is The Solution (7")’ (Kingston 11)
• 10 July 1993 (BFBS): 'Remir In Jungle' with Mr Pants
• 17 July 1993: ‘Ghetto Youth (You Have To Make It) (7")' (Yam Euphony Music)
• 29 October 1993: ‘Hot Stepping (7")’ (Digital-B)

1997

• 15 February 1997: ‘Put Down Yuh Weapon (7")’ (Fat Eyes) with Capleton
• 18 February 1997: ‘Put Down Yuh Weapon (7")’ (Fat Eyes) with Capleton

1998

• 28 May 1998: Richer Than Cory (7") Jamaica National Harddow
• 04 June 1998: Richer Than Cory (Richard Cory) (7”) Harddow
• 18 June 1998: Richer Than Cory (7”) Harddow
• 05 August 1998: Drugs In City (7") Buju B
• 06 August 1998: Sitting In The Ivory Towers (7”) Flash
• 25 August 1998: 'Drugs In City (7")' (Buju B)
• 22 September 1998: Flee Out Of Babylon (7”) Hipower
• 23 September 1998: Ruler Of The Earth (7") Roaring Lion
• 30 September 1998 (BFBS): 'Flee Out A Babylon (7")' (Hi Power Music)
• 06 October 1998: 'Flee Out A Babylon (7")' (Hi Power)

2000

• 14 June 2000: 'Hot Stepping (7")' (Digital-B)
• 15 June 2000 (Radio Eins): 'Hot Stepping (7")' (Digital-B)
• 21 June 2000: 'Leave Out The Badness (7")' (Xterminator)
• 27 June 2000: Put Down The Weapon

2001

• 01 February 2001: 'Richer Than Cory (7")' (Harddow)
• 05 April 2001 (Radio Eins): 'Jah Love Guide I And I (7")' (Yam Euphony) with Shalom
• 10 April 2001: 'Jah Love Guide I And I (7")' (Yam Euphony) with Shalom
• 29 April 2001 (BBC World Service): 'Jah Love Guide I And I (7")' (Yam Euphony) with Shalom
• 02 May 2001: 'Jah Love Guide I And I (7")' (Yam Euphony) with Shalom
• 17 May 2001 (Radio Eins): 'Jah Love Guide I And I (7")' (Yam Euphony) with Shalom
• 26 June 2001: 'Save The Souls (7")' (Soundbox)
• 28 June 2001 (Radio Eins): 'Save The Souls (7")' (Soundbox)
• 10 July 2001: 'Work It Out (7")' (Boot Camp)
• 28 August 2001: 'Jah Fire Throne (7")' (Roots Foundation)
• 29 August 2001: 'Save The Souls (7")' (Soundbox)
• 27 September 2001 (Radio Eins): 'Save The Souls (7")' (Soundbox)
• 04 October 2001 (Radio Eins): Jah Fire Throne (7") Roots Foundation
• 08 November 2001: 'Richer Than Cory (7")' (Jamiaca International) (JP: 'What a great record, from 1998, and it’s called “Richer Than Cory.”')

2002

• May 2002 (Peel's Record Box): 'Ghetto Under Fire' (Jah Hi Ya/Trade Roots)
• 01 May 2002: 'Ghetto Under Fire (7")' (Jah Hi Ya)
• 14 May 2002: 'Ghetto Under Fire (7")' (Jah Hi Ya)
• 16 May 2002 (Radio Mafia): 'Ghetto Under Fire (7")' (Jah Hi Ya)
• 31 May 2002 (BBC World Service): Ghetto Under Fire (7") Jah Hi Ya
• July 2002 (Peel's Record Box): 'Mystery Unfolds' (B.I.G.)
• 16 July 2002: 'Mystery Unfolds (7")' (B.I.G.)
• 31 July 2002: 'Mystery Unfolds (7")' (B.I.G.)
• 07 August 2002: 'Reason For (7")' (John Shop)
• 20 August 2002: 'Reason For (7")' (John Shop)
• 22 August 2002: 'Mystery Unfolds (7")' (B.I.G.)
• 29 August 2002 (BBC World Service): 'Reason For (7")' (John Shop)
• 12 September 2002: 'Jah Jah Love (7")' (Thompson Sound)
• 24 September 2002: 'Jah Jah Love (7")' (Thompson Sound)
• September 2002 (Peel's Record Box): 'Jah Jah Love' (Thompson Sound)
• October 2002 (FSK): Jah Jah Love (7") Thompson Sound
• 03 December 2002: 'Jah Jah Love (7")' (Thompson Sound) (JP: 'We've been playing that one since the day after my birthday back in August...perhaps it'll be in the Festive Fifty. We'll find out together, you and I, on Boxing Day, when we go through the whole Festive Fifty and perhaps other things besides.')
• 12 December 2002 (Radio Eins): Jah Jah Love (7") Thompson Sound

See Also

• Record Collection: Y

External Links

• Wikipedia
• Official site
• Discogs
• AllMusic