Yami Bolo

by Sandra BrennanInternational star Yami Bolo has been recording and performing Jah-centered cultural reggae since the 1980s. 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. Born Rolando McLean, Yami Bolos earliest musical influence was church music; he began performing at age 11. He got his big chance when he hooked up with Sugar Minott and his Youth Promotion organization. Minott was impressed by Bolos sincerity and eventually allowed him to record special promotions for traveling DJs — none of the many tracks he recorded with Minott were ever released. While associated with Minott, the adolescent Bolo would spend much time hanging out at Jamaican studio listening to roots beats and learning about recording. Later, Bolo performed with Stur-Mas and Third World. As an independent artist, Bolo signed with Techniques in the mid-80s and released three singles. He then went on to cut one LP with Junior Delgado and another with Augustus Pablo before recording the solo CD He Who Feels it Knows It for Heartbeat in 1989. In the early 90s, he was signed with Taxi Records and also to Paisley Park Records as a songwriter. Throughout the duration of the nineties Bolo recorded for the RAS and VP labels, as well as issuing 1991s He Who Knows It Feels It and 1992s Up Life Street on Heartbeat.