Yaz Alexander

Since the emergence of the Lovers rock genre, kick-started by Louisa Marks' plaintive reading of Robert Parker's soul hit "Caught You In A Lie" in 1975, the UK reggae scene has proven to be a fertile ground for female singers. Those familiar with Lovers rock and other styles of reggae produced in the UK throughout the past 30 years need no introduction to artists like Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson, Joy Mack, Sandra Cross, Kofi, Janet Lee Davis, Barbara Nap, Sylvia Tella, Lorna Asher, Dawna Lee, and Aisha, to name a few. And now we can add another silken-voiced songstress to the ever growing list of UK based female artists who are worth checking out.

Grown up in Leeds, but born and now based in Birmingham, Yaz Alexander is a vocal force to be reckoned with. Since 1990, when she started working with Pato Banton, she has established herself as one of Britain's most in-demand session and backing vocalists. Besides collaborations with Pato, Steel Pulse, et al. Yaz has managed to release several solo and independent singles over the years, ranging from covers of Soul II Soul's classics, "Keep On Moving" and "Back To Life", to original material such as "Freedom" (2003) and "This World" (2004), a track that personifies Yaz Alexander's commitment to principle and consciousness.

Now, after being persuaded to document her material indelibly, Fully Fledged Productions unleash Yaz Alexander's debut album "Life Begins", which opens in great style with the aforementioned single "This World", a cut for The Gumption Band's "Kotch It!" riddim. After having listened to the album we can only draw one conclusion: Yaz Alexander has a stunning vocal delivery... warm, sultry and ambient. Her amazing voice fully shines on stand outs like "Empress" (across Christopher Birch’s "Ghetto Blues" riddim, probably best known from Chuck Fender & Cherine’s No.1 hit "Coming Over Tonight"), "Why Me", the steamy "Love Has Got A Hold", the moving "Sister", the excellent "Black Pride", and "Mama" (on Gregory Isaacs' "Hard Drugs" riddim).

Solid debut album with many captivating tunes, well laid riddims and on top of that... a beautiful voice! - www.reggae-vibes.com

A Leeds-grown reggae artist is finally fulfilling her dream of starring alongside some of reggae music’s greatest luminaries including Freddie McGregor, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder and Mr Vegas.

Yaz Alexander who now lives in Birmingham, but spent most of her formative years growing up in Leeds, has been chosen as one of the performing artists at this year’s annual Leeds Reggae Concert – the biggest free reggae event in Europe.

Yaz who last performed at the event in 2004 was especially thrilled to be picked this time around, not only because this is the concert’s 21st year and she has attended consistently since the age of 12, more so because it falls on the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade and already this year she was commissioned to write a song commemorating that particular event.

“The song (cry for freedom) is very significant to the struggles that black people have gone through and in many ways continue to go through and as a black woman it’s extra special for me to have been asked to write and perform it, because whenever a nation is oppressed, it’s always the women who take the brunt of that oppression. So for me to be chosen to perform at the reggae concert in this very symbolic year when black people throughout Britain and the Commonwealth are re-connecting their ancestral history, it also enables me to re-connect with some of my personal and social history of growing up in Leeds.

Yaz who is expecting to release her debut album in November is certainly no stranger to the big reggae stage, having worked with lots of other pre-eminent reggae artists such as Steel Pulse and touring the world as a backing vocalist for International reggae star Pato Banton. As a solo artist she’s recently headlined alongside the legendary Marcia Griffiths, The Mighty Diamonds, Lucky Dube and her great friend, Sylvia Tella who incidentally is also billed to perform in Leeds this weekend.

The dulcet-toned singer thinks it’s surreal that her aspirations are finally being realised and that she’s now sharing the stage with some of her heroes and sheroes. “I have early memories of going to the Leeds Reggae Concert and Carnival and watching and listening to some of these superb artists and to be now sharing the billing with them is more than an honour – it’s a dream come true.”

In some quarters they label Yaz Alexander as “the hardest working woman in show business,” and the Leeds Reggae Concert is just one of four events that she’s performing at over this bank holiday weekend. The sing-a-holic is convinced that the hard work and energy that she’s been putting in is the main reason why her music is starting to pay dividends and the fact that she doesn’t confine herself to just one style of music is another.

Even though her musical roots are firmly entrenched in reggae, the versatile songstress has just returned from a mini-jazz-tour of Malta, where she literally had audiences begging for more. And that’s the legacy with which she plans to leave the Leeds reggae fans with this Sunday (August 26th), “A vibrant, inspiring and uplifting roots reggae spectacle fitting to any commemorative event.”
- Yorkshire Post

A Leeds-grown reggae artist is finally fulfilling her dream of starring alongside some of reggae music’s greatest luminaries including Freddie McGregor, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder and Mr Vegas.

Yaz Alexander who now lives in Birmingham, but spent most of her formative years growing up in Leeds, has been chosen as one of the performing artists at this year’s annual Leeds Reggae Concert – the biggest free reggae event in Europe.

Yaz who last performed at the event in 2004 was especially thrilled to be picked this time around, not only because this is the concert’s 21st year and she has attended consistently since the age of 12, more so because it falls on the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade and already this year she was commissioned to write a song commemorating that particular event.

“The song (cry for freedom) is very significant to the struggles that black people have gone through and in many ways continue to go through and as a black woman it’s extra special for me to have been asked to write and perform it, because whenever a nation is oppressed, it’s always the women who take the brunt of that oppression. So for me to be chosen to perform at the reggae concert in this very symbolic year when black people throughout Britain and the Commonwealth are re-connecting their ancestral history, it also enables me to re-connect with some of my personal and social history of growing up in Leeds.

Yaz who is expecting to release her debut album in November is certainly no stranger to the big reggae stage, having worked with lots of other pre-eminent reggae artists such as Steel Pulse and touring the world as a backing vocalist for International reggae star Pato Banton. As a solo artist she’s recently headlined alongside the legendary Marcia Griffiths, The Mighty Diamonds, Lucky Dube and her great friend, Sylvia Tella who incidentally is also billed to perform in Leeds this weekend.

The dulcet-toned singer thinks it’s surreal that her aspirations are finally being realised and that she’s now sharing the stage with some of her heroes and sheroes. “I have early memories of going to the Leeds Reggae Concert and Carnival and watching and listening to some of these superb artists and to be now sharing the billing with them is more than an honour – it’s a dream come true.”

In some quarters they label Yaz Alexander as “the hardest working woman in show business,” and the Leeds Reggae Concert is just one of four events that she’s performing at over this bank holiday weekend. The sing-a-holic is convinced that the hard work and energy that she’s been putting in is the main reason why her music is starting to pay dividends and the fact that she doesn’t confine herself to just one style of music is another.

Even though her musical roots are firmly entrenched in reggae, the versatile songstress has just returned from a mini-jazz-tour of Malta, where she literally had audiences begging for more. And that’s the legacy with which she plans to leave the Leeds reggae fans with this Sunday (August 26th), “A vibrant, inspiring and uplifting roots reggae spectacle fitting to any commemorative event.”
- Yorkshire Post

A Birmingham singer is set to premiere a song that she wrote for the commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade for a second time.

Yaz Alexander, one of the city’s best know reggae artists was commissioned by an Heritage Lottery funded project (three continents – one history) to write the ode to mark 2007 being the 200th year since slavery was abolished in Great Britain and its Commonwealth Territories.

The song (cry for freedom) hasn’t been heard since it was performed at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery launch of the 3 Contents – 1 history project on March 25th, the day when the bill was passed 200 years ago to formally abolish slavery, but with August 23rd being UNESCO’s official international day of remembrance for slavery, Yaz believes that it’s only fitting to perform the song in the week when people will naturally be remembering the slave trade by default. “Also it’s quite a long song (7 verses) and at the time of the initial performance it was actually incomplete, so we’ve been in the studio doing a lot of vocal and technical work on it and all of the performances that I’ve done up until now have a had a different musical theme so the song hasn’t been relevant until now.”

Yaz was undoubtedly thrilled and honoured to have been chosen to write the song but on such a poignant theme she was anxious as well – so much so that she had to modify her usual approach to song writing to manifest this one. “I had to do months of research to ensure that my lyrical content was factual and being a woman of African heritage it was very emotional discovering so many atrocities connected to the slave trade. It was somewhat disturbing having to read, imagine and repeat information over and over and being reminded of an inconceivable plight.”

Kesa Young from the Kalunga organization who are putting on the event where Yaz will perform the song this weekend agrees. “The song that Yaz has written is so powerful and thought provoking it needs to be out there, everyone regardless of their demographic should be aware of the plight of the slaves during the slave trade and music is one of the popular means of mass communication so I applaud Yaz for writing this particular song.”

The event eponymously called, Kalunga, is taking place this Saturday August 25th at The Drum Arts Centre, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham. It’s an all day event in three stages, the first of which sees coaches leaving from the Drum at 8am on an excursion to the brand new International Slavery Museum in Liverpool where people can get a real feel of what slaves were actually put through. Then it’s back to the Drum for 6pm where a seminar on the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade will be held. Then at 9pm it’s the concert stage of Kalunga which will feature Yaz, the song Cry For Freedom and a whole host of local and international recording artists who will perform their respective commemorative songs until 2am.

“We want people from different generations to attend in particular the excursion,” says entrepreneurial event promoter, Kesa Young. “Young people especially will be able to get a real sense of occasion and take away a whole new experience and understanding which might lead to a change in lifestyle or attitude. This is Birmingham’s largest grass roots event in commemoration of the abolishment of the slave trade and it’s been staged altruistically with most of the funding coming through private investment so it’s important that everybody attends at least some stage of the event if they possibly can.” Yaz agrees, “It’s important for everybody regardless of colour or creed to try and come to this event, hear the song if they can, because it’s my hope that the lyrical content alone will provoke everyone to be more aware of this scandalous part of history and be inspired to educate themselves and find out more so that eventually we all come to an understanding – despite our differences – and that we can all live in harmony with each other.”
If you can’t attend the Kalunga event on Saturday, Yaz will be uploading the song to her respective websites (www.yazalexander.com) or (www.myspace.com/yazalexander) in due course.
- Birmingham Evening Mail

A Birmingham singer is set to premiere a song that she wrote for the commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade for a second time.

Yaz Alexander, one of the city’s best know reggae artists was commissioned by an Heritage Lottery funded project (three continents – one history) to write the ode to mark 2007 being the 200th year since slavery was abolished in Great Britain and its Commonwealth Territories.

The song (cry for freedom) hasn’t been heard since it was performed at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery launch of the 3 Contents – 1 history project on March 25th, the day when the bill was passed 200 years ago to formally abolish slavery, but with August 23rd being UNESCO’s official international day of remembrance for slavery, Yaz believes that it’s only fitting to perform the song in the week when people will naturally be remembering the slave trade by default. “Also it’s quite a long song (7 verses) and at the time of the initial performance it was actually incomplete, so we’ve been in the studio doing a lot of vocal and technical work on it and all of the performances that I’ve done up until now have a had a different musical theme so the song hasn’t been relevant until now.”

Yaz was undoubtedly thrilled and honoured to have been chosen to write the song but on such a poignant theme she was anxious as well – so much so that she had to modify her usual approach to song writing to manifest this one. “I had to do months of research to ensure that my lyrical content was factual and being a woman of African heritage it was very emotional discovering so many atrocities connected to the slave trade. It was somewhat disturbing having to read, imagine and repeat information over and over and being reminded of an inconceivable plight.”

Kesa Young from the Kalunga organization who are putting on the event where Yaz will perform the song this weekend agrees. “The song that Yaz has written is so powerful and thought provoking it needs to be out there, everyone regardless of their demographic should be aware of the plight of the slaves during the slave trade and music is one of the popular means of mass communication so I applaud Yaz for writing this particular song.”

The event eponymously called, Kalunga, is taking place this Saturday August 25th at The Drum Arts Centre, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham. It’s an all day event in three stages, the first of which sees coaches leaving from the Drum at 8am on an excursion to the brand new International Slavery Museum in Liverpool where people can get a real feel of what slaves were actually put through. Then it’s back to the Drum for 6pm where a seminar on the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade will be held. Then at 9pm it’s the concert stage of Kalunga which will feature Yaz, the song Cry For Freedom and a whole host of local and international recording artists who will perform their respective commemorative songs until 2am.

“We want people from different generations to attend in particular the excursion,” says entrepreneurial event promoter, Kesa Young. “Young people especially will be able to get a real sense of occasion and take away a whole new experience and understanding which might lead to a change in lifestyle or attitude. This is Birmingham’s largest grass roots event in commemoration of the abolishment of the slave trade and it’s been staged altruistically with most of the funding coming through private investment so it’s important that everybody attends at least some stage of the event if they possibly can.” Yaz agrees, “It’s important for everybody regardless of colour or creed to try and come to this event, hear the song if they can, because it’s my hope that the lyrical content alone will provoke everyone to be more aware of this scandalous part of history and be inspired to educate themselves and find out more so that eventually we all come to an understanding – despite our differences – and that we can all live in harmony with each other.”
If you can’t attend the Kalunga event on Saturday, Yaz will be uploading the song to her respective websites (www.yazalexander.com) or (www.myspace.com/yazalexander) in due course.
- Birmingham Evening Mail

After many years in the business, this Birmingham based singer finally releases her debut album.
Yaz Alexander was a backing vocalist for Handsworth revolutionaries Steel Pulse and later for nineties pop-reggaeist Pato Banton. Life Begins -out on Fully Fledged Productions- is the debut album for this Birmingham-based singer – and it is a very classy reggae album indeed. A couple of tracks present Yaz as a sultry, cool, jazz diva or as a soul singer, with some excellent seventies stylings - do I also detect “Theme From ‘The Godfather’” in there? Of course, there is plenty of uplifting and very positive reggae, with denser arrangements than is usual - the attentive listener will hear jazz, soul, funk, rock and even blues influences – and lyric concerns range from Black pride, sisterhood and self-image to the tenderest of love songs.
Best of all, Yaz draws on Jamaican music from the sixties onwards, with a penchant for not only the roots sound of the seventies but perhaps more especially the classic sound of rocksteady, the first real singer’s style in Jamaica, popular between 1966 and 1968, and today sometimes overlooked (although this is definitely a contemporary release).
Yaz Alexander can certainly sing, and the mixture of live and computer backing works extremely well. Helping out are the likes of Peter Hunnigale and The Gumption Band, which gives some measure of the quality on offer here.


Writen by Norman Darwen for unitedreggae.com

Check the following link for original article: http://www.unitedreggae.com/article/n177/071108/life-begins-for-yaz-alexander - United Reggae

After many years in the business, this Birmingham based singer finally releases her debut album.
Yaz Alexander was a backing vocalist for Handsworth revolutionaries Steel Pulse and later for nineties pop-reggaeist Pato Banton. Life Begins -out on Fully Fledged Productions- is the debut album for this Birmingham-based singer – and it is a very classy reggae album indeed. A couple of tracks present Yaz as a sultry, cool, jazz diva or as a soul singer, with some excellent seventies stylings - do I also detect “Theme From ‘The Godfather’” in there? Of course, there is plenty of uplifting and very positive reggae, with denser arrangements than is usual - the attentive listener will hear jazz, soul, funk, rock and even blues influences – and lyric concerns range from Black pride, sisterhood and self-image to the tenderest of love songs.
Best of all, Yaz draws on Jamaican music from the sixties onwards, with a penchant for not only the roots sound of the seventies but perhaps more especially the classic sound of rocksteady, the first real singer’s style in Jamaica, popular between 1966 and 1968, and today sometimes overlooked (although this is definitely a contemporary release).
Yaz Alexander can certainly sing, and the mixture of live and computer backing works extremely well. Helping out are the likes of Peter Hunnigale and The Gumption Band, which gives some measure of the quality on offer here.


Writen by Norman Darwen for unitedreggae.com

Check the following link for original article: http://www.unitedreggae.com/article/n177/071108/life-begins-for-yaz-alexander - United Reggae