The King of Dancehall: Yellowman & The Upper Cut Band return to The Jazz Cafe
Celebrating the roots and power of dancehall, Jamaican legend Yellowman brings his catalogue to the iconic Camden stage for one night only.
Photo: Yellowman
Referred to as the original King of Dancehall, Yellowman will be performing alongside The Upper Cut Band at the iconic Camden venue, The Jazz Cafe, this summer. This will be the artist’s third time at the venue, having first performed in 2019 alongside The Sagittarius Band, and on his own in August 2024.
Yellowman first became popular in the 1980s, rising from Kingston, Jamaica’s sound system scene. He emerged at a pivotal moment for reggae and gained popularity with a range of singles that established his reputation. These songs include his hit track Zungguzungguguzungguzeng, Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt, Natty Sat Upon the Rock and Mr. Chin. He is considered one of the pioneers in dancehall music and is credited with “almost single-handedly [creating] the coarse, crude and fearlessly direct sound of today's dancehall” in the Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music book by Kevin Chang and Wayne Chen.
Known for spearheading the first generation of dancehall deejays and bringing the genre to an international audience, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to sign with a major American record label: Columbia Records. This led to him receiving two GRAMMY Award nominations for Best Reggae Album: King Yellowman (1985) and Freedom of Speech (1998), an album that cemented his voice as one of the most distinctive and unapologetic in Jamaican music. He was the first dancehall artist to be nominated in this category.
In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) by the Jamaican government. Now, at 70 years old, and with over 45 years in the game, he is still one of the most respected figures in his field, respected by his peers and continuing to tour internationally across the globe.
Joining Yellowman as the supporting act is Daniella Dee, a multidimensional artist, producer and selector hailing from Coventry. Daniella Dee grew up singing in church choirs, with music deeply rooted in her family. Her father, Trevor ‘E.T’ Rockers Evans, founded Coventry’s first sound system, Jah Baddis, in the seventies and went on to become the tour DJ for ska legends, The Specials. Daniella went on to join her father and The Specials on world tours. Following in those footsteps, she has since carved out her own distinctive presence in the music world.
Catch Yellowman & The Upper Cut Band, alongside supporting act Daniella Dee, on Sunday, July 5th at The Jazz Cafe. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
