Live: Yellowman

TinCan TV

Jamaican dancehall legend Yellowman comes to the UK

Born in Jamaica in 1956 as Winston Foster, his life was challenging from the start.  Winston was born with albinism, a condition that was looked down upon by fellow Jamaicans and he grew up well used to the hostility and scorn that his appearance drew from those around him.  Unable to cope, his family placed him in an institution, The Maxfield Home Orphanage in Kingston and it was there that Winston took solace in writing music, taking inspiration from the Jamaican folk music of the sixties.  He wrote his own songs in the hopes that he would one day gain acceptance in spite of the stigma placed upon him.
In his quest for acceptance and validation, Winston developed a bold, cocky style and a flair for shameless self-promotion, never missing an opportunity to showcase his abilities.

He had secured a job with the Gemini Sound System as a substitute DJ. Christening himself Yellowman and dressing in a bright yellow suit, he peppered his lyrics with jokes about his skin color and tales of his sexual conquests. In 1979, he won a landslide victory at the well-known Tastee Talent Contest, and within months he had become one of Jamaica's top selling live acts, with a dynamic, humorous stage show in which he often used the microphone to mimic his anatomical gifts.

Recording prolifically in the early '80s, at one point Yellowman flooded the Jamaican market with more than 40 singles. He thrilled audiences with his wild, raunchy dancehall performances, which transformed him into a national sex symbol, something he could never have dreamed of in those dark days in the institution.

Yellowman became Jamaica's top selling reggae star and scored a recording contract with US label CBS Records, leading to a worldwide tour and an international following. One reviewer remarked, "Listening to Yellowman sing is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he's got it, you know he's got it, and it's a trip just experiencing him perform."

He has had a substantial influence on hip hop and is widely credited for leading the way for the succession of reggae artists that were embraced by the growing hip-hop community in America during the 1980s. NWA's Eazy E used a sample of his voice from his recording "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" which also became a major hit with the same title.

As Yellowman's recording career continued through the mid eighties his sexual boasts got raunchier but his popularity had slipped.  His material was less consistent than it had been just a few years earlier and he wasn't helped by the emergence of a legion of new dancehall artists, many of whom harked back to his early material for inspiration. Things changed, however after he was diagnosed with jaw and skin cancer in the early 90s.  The prognosis was dire and he was given six months to live.  Treatment followed with an extended leave of absence from the music industry and, just as he had done throughout his life, he beat the odds and won the battle.  With his appearance severely affected, Yellowman was shaken after this life-threatening encounter with cancer.  This led him to completely rethink his approach to music, and he has devoted himself almost exclusively to spirituality and social concerns.

Still touring around the world with his Sagittarius Band, Yellowman has a relentless schedule that can only be met by his near boundless energy.  November sees him in the UK:

Friday 6 Nov - Band on the Wall, Manchester

Sunday 8 November - The Picket, Liverpool

Tuesday 10 November  - The Bongo Club, Edinburgh

Friday 13 November - The Princess Pavilion, Falmouth

Sunday 15 November - Hootananny, Brixton, London

Tags: yellowman reggae dancehall winson foster jamaica negril albino nobody move nobody get hurt nwa gemini sounds system maxfield orphanage cbs hip hop eazy e cancer sagittarius band bob marley john holt dennis brown 

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