Main content

YolanDa Brown

In a special programme in the week of the London Jazz Festival, saxophonist YolanDa Brown talks to Michael Berkeley about her passion for spreading the joy of music to children.

In a special programme to coincide with the London Jazz Festival the outstanding saxophonist YolanDa Brown talks to Michael Berkeley about her passion for spreading the joy of music, especially to children.

YolanDa presents 'YolanDa’s Band Jam' on CBeebies and hosts Young Jazz Musician of the Year. She’s an ambassador for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Music Day and chair of the charity Youth Music. She has won a string of awards, including two Jazz MOBOs – Music of Black Origin Awards – and her most recent album, 'Love Politics War', topped the jazz charts.

Less well known is that she started out on a career in social science research, taking masters degrees in both Operations Management and Methods of Social Research and beginning a PhD before veering back to her first love – music.

YolanDa talks about the importance of introducing children to live music at the earliest possible age. Her own daughter responded to music in the womb and went to her first opera at the age of four. We hear music from YolanDa’s own first musical outing to see Iolanthe with her father, also at the age of four.

YolanDa describes her vibrant mix of jazz and soul as ‘posh reggae’, influenced by her Jamaican heritage. We hear a track from her latest album and tracks from musicians who have influenced her, including Kamasi Washington, Dave Brubeck and Bobby McFerrin. She talks to Michael about playing the piano and violin as a child; classical music remains very close to her heart, and she chooses music by Schubert and Dvorak.

And we hear a special commission from film composer Hans Zimmer, part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Ten Pieces Trailblazers, which was introduced by YolanDa when she presented this year’s CBeebies Proms.

Producer: Jane Greenwood
A Loftus production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3

Available now

32 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Nov 2019 12:00

Music Played

  • YolanDa Brown

    Million Billion Love

    Performer: YolanDa Brown.
  • Arthur Sullivan

    Iolanthe - Overture

    Orchestra: Royal Ballet Sinfonia. Conductor: Andrew Penny.
  • Kamasi Washington

    Desire

    Performer: Kamasi Washington.
  • Franz Schubert

    Impromptu in F minor, D.935 no.1

    Performer: Rudolf Serkin.
  • Leonard Bernstein

    Maria

    Performer: Dave Brubeck. Music Arranger: Dave Brubeck.
  • Hans Zimmer

    Earth

    Orchestra: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Choir: Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chorus. Conductor: Roderick Cox.
  • Bobby McFerrin

    Say Ladeo

    Performer: Bobby McFerrin. Performer: Roger Treece. Performer: Lisa Fischer. Performer: Alex Acuña.
  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony No.9 in E minor (From the New World) (4th mvt: Allegro con fuoco)

    Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Kevin John Edusei.

Broadcast

  • Sun 17 Nov 2019 12:00

What makes Boogie-woogie piano legend Jools Holland tick?

What makes Boogie-woogie piano legend Jools Holland tick?

For Private Passions, Jools Holland revealed his piano history to Michael Berkeley.

11 things we learned from Harry Enfield’s Private Passions

11 things we learned from Harry Enfield’s Private Passions

Harry doesn't usually give interviews – but he couldn't say no to Michael Berkeley.

Archive Unlocked: Two Decades of Private Passions

Michael Berkeley introduces memorable interviews from Private Passions' archives.

Podcast