YolanDa hosts the award winning eponymous series YolanDa’s Band Jam for Cbeebies which guides 5-7 year olds through tempo, rhythm and other musical disciplines in an inspirational show full of surprises and amazing musical guests. In 2019 the first series won a RTSNW award for Best Children’s Programme and the second series broadcast in early 2020.
Passionate about all forms of music, Yolanda hosts the LPO podcast Offstage where she speaks to the orchestra’s players about their experiences and passions. She has also explored how Sir Henry Wood championed female composers and musicians and his lasting influence on the classical music scene today for the Proms as well as their live coverage the Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie Prom.
Over on the airways, YolanDa presents Saturday afternoons on Jazz FM and has also covered Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation, Vanessa Feltz’s Early Breakfast and Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2. She is also a regular guest presenter on Radio 4’s Loose Ends and has presented documentaries for the station. You can even hear her on board British Airways flights as the host of their Gospel Show and Inflight Live Sessions where she hosts a mix of interviews and live performances. You may have also spotted her flexing her general knowledge muscles on such shows as University Challenge, The Hit List, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Mastermind, Pointless and Gareth Malone’s All Star Music Quiz. She even got to indulge her other passion of driving fast cars on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip scouring the country for hidden treasures.
YolanDa is also a world-renowned, self-taught, MOBO award-winning saxophonist and in 2019 brought the New Year in with Jools Holland on Hootananny where she duetted with Rick Astley and Kelly Jones. Her first album April Showers, May Flowers won her two consecutive MOBO awards for “Best Jazz” as well as an Urban Music Award. Her second album Love, Politics, War was released in 2017 and saw her mixing reggae, jazz and soul to create a hugely unique and sumptuous sound.
A champion for the importance of music education, YolanDa is chair of many charities and boards including Youth Music and the BPI as well as a patron of the Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians. She champions music for children in challenging circumstances and strives to bring music education to wider audiences in a fun and accessible way working closely on separate endeavours with BBC Education and the London Philharmonic Orchestra to bring live shows and online musical streaming content for schools.
