This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Japan. In October, Japan’s ambassador to Jamaica, Yasuhiro Atsumi, acknowledged reggae’s impact on his country with two events in St Andrew.

They took place October 19-20 at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and at his official residence.

In attendance at both was singer Yami Bolo, who has performed in Japan many times.

Yami Bolo reunited with Japanese singer Miyazawa “Miya” Kazufumi at the Edna Manley College show, where they performed Love Is Dangerous, their song that sold over one million copies in Japan in 1994.

It was their first meeting in 30 years.

The Yui Yui Sisters, a six-member group from Japan, also performed at the Edna Manley College event.

“Japan is a special place for me, ‘cause it mek I know seh I can sell a million copies. It give mi a confidence dat if I can do it there, I can do it everywhere,” Yami Bolo told the
Jamaica Observer.

The artiste, who is from Greenwich Farm in Kingston, said he first visited Japan in 1987 for Japan Pitfest, along with Augustus Pablo, White Mice, and Junior Delgado. He returned several times for performances on JapanSplash, one of the biggest reggae festivals in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Yami Bolo’s last performances in Japan was 2010.

Also attending the event at Ambassador Atsumi’s residence was artiste/show promoter Tony Rebel, another regular visitor to Japan, and Government Senator Thomas Tavares Finson. Yami Bolo presented them with copies of his book, Yami Bolo: Poems And Songs The Cosmo’s Garrison.

After Bob Marley’s tour of the country in 1979, Japan’s reggae market opened up during the 1980s. It became a fertile region for acts like Augustus Pablo, Sly and Robbie, Sugar Minott, Freddie McGregor, and musicians such as Earl “Chinna” Smith.

Japanese music producers, sound system operators, and dancers also travelled to Jamaica to record artistes and compete in sound clashes/dance contests.

— Howard Campbell