Bolo Pon Yuh Corner

Yami Bolo is one of my favorite singers in all of music. it seems i listen to at least one of his songs every day. with just over 20 years deep in the game now, he has a tremendous body of work. so i figured a little post and a couple lists are in order to get some of you casual reggae listeners acquainted with this cat. here goes...
Yami Bolo was one of the best 'youthman' (read: very young and almost-child-voiced) singers to emerge from the '80s. he's one of the few of that crop who continues to record regularly to this day, and for me, the only one who's work has never faltered. Bolo continues voicing roots and culture in the true inimitable Waterhouse style. his history is well known to fans, but here's a quick recap for the uninitiated. not unlike many other legendary reggae vocalists, his first 'break' came in 1983, when at age 13 he won a talent contest singing what would become his first trademark tune, 'when a man's in love.' from there it was a short stop to singing on two of the top soundsystems of the digital era - Youth Promotion and Stur Mars. he first entered a studio in 1986, recording for Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion label. Yami says he recorded a full album at this time, but only four singles from this session were ever released, two in '86 and the other two not until '99 and the early '00s! so we don't get bogged down in details, a discography of Yami's '80s tunes in rough chronological order will be at the bottom of this post. Yami next recorded for Winston Riley's Techniques label, and Kenneth Black's Skengdon label. in 1987 Yami hooked up with Augustus Pablo, going on tour with Pablo's Rockers soundsystem and recording a good deal for Pablo over the next couple of years. these recordings would yield a batch of singles for Pablo's labels, and Yami's first two LP's, the first one coming in 1989. on into the '90s and it was full speed ahead; by '90 he was grown and establishing himself as one of the finest roots singers out. to date Yami has recorded hundreds of singles and is probably approaching 30 albums by now. of course his '80s youthman work will always be the best for me, but with his amazing voice and knack for voicing on terrific contemporary roots riddims, i've got dozens of excellent singles from him, and undoubtedly dozens and dozens more yet to acquire.

so, here's a little discographical information. i'll put a couple of mp3 links in the lists below. if you dig and want to hear more, then send an email and i'll sort you out with my Yami '80s mixtape or 'best of Yami' mixtape, both of which contain most of the tunes listed below.

Yami Bolo - 1980's discography (rough chronological order), all essential!!! of course, corrections & additions are welcomed.
-Roots Pon Mi Corner (Youth Promotion 7" JA)
-Original True Love (Youth Promotion 7" JA - rec. '86?, rel. '00s)
-Through The Falling Rain (Youth Promotion 7" JA / Youth Promotion 12" US)
-Youth Promotion (V/A - Hidden Treasures CD - Easy Star UK - rec. '86?, rel. '99)
-When A Man's In Love (Techniques 7" JA // V/A - Original Stalag 17-18 and 19 LP - Techniques JA // VP Dancehall Classics 12" US - rel. '00, first rel. on 12"?)
-Bad Boy Posse (Techniques 7" JA // V/A - Rebel Teng LP - Techniques JA)
-Jah Jah Made Them All (Techniques 7" JA / High Power Music 12" UK)
-Free Mandela (Skengdon 7" US / Skengdon 12" US // V/A - Skengdon All Stars - Skengdon LP US)
-Walkie Talkie (Skengdon 7" JA / Skengdon 12" UK)
-Loving You My Dear (Skengdon 7" JA)
-'Dance Hall Pt. 1' on V/A - A Tribute To Tenor Saw - Sky High LP JA - excerpt from Stur Mars live session circa mid-'80s, LP rel. '89; Yami sings part of George's Michael's 'Careless Whisper' and 'When A Man's In Love'!!!
-Ransom of a Man's Life (Message 7" JA / Ransom LP/CD - Greensleeves UK/Shanachie US)
-She Loves Me So (Rockers 7" JA / Ransom LP/CD - Greensleeves UK/Shanachie US)
-Tell Me Why Is This Fussing & Fighting (Message 7" JA)
-Love Me With Feeling [w/ Junior Delgado] (Rockers 7" JA)
-Poverty and Brutality (Message 7" JA)
-Ransom LP/CD (Greensleeves UK / Shanachie US)
some or all of those last 5 Rockers/Message singles might have been rel. '90, can't be sure.

'90s-present killers, my personal faves!
*i need a few of these, noted below, if you can help with vinyl or even mp3, get at me!
-Weep Not (Digital B) mr. bassie riddim
-Put Down Yuh Weapon [w/ Capleton] (Fat Eyes) african beat riddim
-African Brother (Jahara Music) youthman riddim
-Almighty One (Kennedy Int'l) mr. bassie riddim
-Free Africa (Jammy's/Kingston 11) answer riddim
-Glock War, Gun War (Yam Euphony/RAS)
-Gun Bag (JR Production) WANTED
-Mystery Babylon (Thompson Sound) voiced on '70s rhythm
-Throw Down Your Arms (Tubb Sound) a Swiss production!
-I Don't Know Why (Wacam) tempo riddim
-Leave Out The Badness (Xterminator)
-Mr. Smith & Wesson/Set Sail (Stone Love 12") give me the right riddim
-Rema & Jungle (Buffalo) VERY WANTED
-Trample (Taxi/Music City)
-Traitors & Vampires (Yam Euphony)
-It's Not Surprising (Grove Music/Parson Pickney) WANTED
-Door Peep [w/ Ruffy & Tuffy] (Rockers)
-Jah Made Them All (Rockers)
-Struggle in Babylon (Rockers/RAS)
-Bad Boys (Don One) wicked Brooklyn production from last year!