Yami Bolo brings revolution to Rebel Salute

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

It is time for a revolution - one that will take Jamaica back from being a place where crime and violence reign to where peace will once again prevail. That will be the theme of a new single released by reggae singer Yami Bolo and which he intends to perform at Pepsi Rebel Salute this weekend.

Busy performing in the United States for the most part, the dreadlocked singer intends to deliver a stirring performance after an extended hiatus from performing in his homeland as he prepares to release a new single and new album.

"It's been a few years," he said of his long absence from the Jamaican stage.

"Mi love Jamaica, man, but there were circumstances beyond my control but might be it was the Most High that deemed it necessary that we need more education, or re-education, of certain knowledge to deal with life, livity, everything," he said.

"We have an album that we have been working on for a few years now because the time changing, the dancehall beats changing, but we're still focused on the message music because there must be a message to uplift the people, and we're coming with this album called Jah Chemistry of Love and a new single coming from it called It's a Revolution.

Happy for revolution in Jamaica

Every day the revolution is happening in and around the world, so we're even glad to see the revolution happening in Jamaica now where our leader is the woman government, and it is so wonderful to see, in Trinidad also, and it is like the renaissance of the world coming back. The unity is stronger than before, and the youth coming together in the garrisons to make things better. So Jah Chemistry of Love and the single are about all of that intertwined."

So when Pepsi Rebel Salute organiser Tony Rebel approached Yami Bolo, he accepted with the greatest of humility, recognising that the timing of the show was significant.

"Tony Rebel gave me some strength. He said, 'Don't fear nutten what a gwaan, just come in and perform, but it is also a very powerful time, too, because January 7 was the Ethiopian Christmas and it was the time that I got sealed up with the Orthodox Church. So it is a great time to come back and preserve the music," he said.

When he takes the stage at Pepsi Rebel Salute at the Port Kaiser Sports Club in St Elizabeth, Yami Bolo also intends to unleash some of his powerful foundation songs.

"We will be performing the original songs like Put Down the Weapon and Do Good to the Poor Man, the original conscious music that we always provide," he said.

Since the last time he performed here in Jamaica, Yami Bolo has been empowering himself in many ways. He has been learning to play the piano and learning about matters like intellectual property rights. He has also been busy touring the United States and Japan, spreading his powerful and positive message.

 "We've been doing the work in Babylon. Jamaica is like a little Zion, so everything outside is Babylon, even though Babylon is everywhere still," he said.