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King Yellowman & The Sagittarius Band + Guests

Exeter Street Arts Festival – Afterparty

Stage Times

• 20:00 – 20:30 Tinted Windows
• 20:30 – 21:00  Wak Therapists
• 21:00 – 22:00  Devon Afrobeat Collective
• 22:00 – 23:00 Dakar Audio Club
• 23:00 – 01:00  King Yellowman & the Sagittarius Band

+ DJ Support from Kev & Becs [Reggae Sounds]

The King of dancehall Yellowman comes to Exeter to headline Exeter Street Arts Festival 2019 after party here at Exeter Phoenix, bringing with him his legendary, incorrigible showman performance style and non stop crazy dancing.

Developers of emerging talent and opportunity makers for local musicians Devon wide and beyond, non-for-profit organisation MIDI brings their showcase event Exeter Streets Arts festival back again for its fourth year! With a reputation for quality and diversity, this year’s event is set to rock the streets of the city with a celebration of music, dance and arts throughout the day ending with a flamboyant after-party as the night falls here at Exeter Phoenix.

Promising an amazing night with big sounds from some of the UK’s leading Reggae bands, headlining this showcase event is the King of Dance hall himself, Yellowman.

King Yellowman has an incredible history in Reggae music. His upbringing at the Maxfield Home orphanage in Kingston and being albino in Jamaica were two obstacles that he overcame and went on to be (at one time) the biggest reggae artist since Bob Marley, influencing the next wave of dance hall right up to the present day.

The rudest Dancehall toaster of the 1980s, Jamaica’s albino son Yellowman made as many enemies as fans with his controversial, often overtly sexist (if tongue in cheek) lyrics. Now back on the Ragga scene, singing at a slightly slower pace, Yellowman’s witticisms are as cheeky, spirited and intelligent as ever, and delivered with his customary sharp, melodic style.

The Yellowman Story

Born Winston Foster in 1956, King Yellowman is a dancehall favorite known for his occasionally explicit lyrics and deep grooves Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances, prominently with Aces International. He had success as a recording artist, working with producer Henry “Junjo” Lawes. In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (Columbia Records). His first album release was in 1982 entitled Mister Yellowman followed by Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in 1983 earning instant success. In more recent years he has turned his lyrics in a more socially conscious direction and will be making a splasha with the Sagittarius Band.

By the mid-1990s, Yellowman released socially conscious material, rising to international fame along with singers such as Buju Banton. Yellowman became the island’s most popular deejay. He re-invented himself with his 1994 album Prayer, which stepped away from the explicit lyrics that gave him his initial fame. Yellowman was also a featured guest vocalist on the Run-DMC track “Roots Rap Reggae”. Yellowman continues to perform internationally with his Sagittarius Band, and has toured through places such as Nigeria where he retains a following of fans, as well as Spain, Peru, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Britain, France, Kenya, the United States and Canada. He also featured on OPM’s 2004 album, Forthemasses. In 2018, it was announced that he would be awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) by the Jamaican government.

He’ll be joined by support from Dakar Audio Club, an Afrofusion band playing uplifting West African Mashups and Devon Afrobeat Collective providing wall to wall danceable grooves and Ishmael Ensemble – one of the UK’s finest new groups, headed by multi-instrumentalist and established DJ Pete Cunningham.

Fill up on your world beats intake in one fantastic evening of music!

Venue: Exeter Phoenix