Yolanda Brown ‘My place of choice is the arcades - leave me there!’

Available for over a year

Yolanda was born to Jamaican parents in Barking and grew up in Gants Hill. She was in the middle of a PHD in ‘Management Science’ when she chose to go on hiatus and pursue a career in music. Critical acclaim came quick - she won the “Best Jazz” category at the MOBO’s in 2008 and 2009, becoming the first person to ever win it two years running. She’s passionate about music education. In 2019 she launched a series with CBeebies called YolanDa's Band Jam where star guests play music to a live audience of children. She’s sat on the advisory panel for ‘the National Plan for Music Education’ and as of 2022 she became the chair of the ‘British Phonographic Industry’. In 2023 she was appointed OBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to music, music education and broadcasting. Robert Elms found out about Yolanda Brown’s favourite haunts, memories and pet hates in 2016.