Once hailed in music circles as the Next Big Thing, these days, music aficionados have had to be asking instead: What happened to Yvad?
Well, these days Yvad is signed to New Beat Records, and is working on a new album which will be completed within the next two months.
"Since teaming up with Victor Simpson, I am just getting ready to launch the attack," Yvad said.
At this point, 12 tracks have been completed, and Yvad had worked with such industry heavyweights as Clive Hunt, Wayne Armond, David Kennedy, Michael Myrie, Bobby Digital, and Mikey Bennett.
When Yvad hit the scene with the album "Young, Gifted & Dread" - released by Ras Records in 1996 - he was surrounded by hype, but promptly disappeared.
Of the years since then, Yvad only commented:
"Sometimes, a lot of artistes have to struggle with contractual things, but I am good to move right now," he said.
Industry insiders disclosed that Yvad was locked into a contract that he did not like, but never stopped working, amassing an impressive catalogue of unreleased songs while working out of a studio in New York.
Since returning to Jamaica, he has traveled a lot between Kingston and Central Jamaica, getting his head together, and he readies himself to re-launch his career.
"Over the years, I have been writing and recording consistently, I have the Yvad catalogue, and once this new album builds momentum, I have a lot of unreleased stuff that the whole world is going to want to hear," he said.
Yvad was born Kevin Davy in Kingston, Jamaica. When he was two years old his parents sent him to the country to escape political violence. In the peace and quiet of the country, he attended school and church, and discovered his love for music. While attending the Moravian Church, he began singing, playing guitar, and became a member of the choir. Yvad was at school with his friends when he formed a singing group. As time passed, he realized that he lived for the moments when they were singing together. He also found that through songwriting he could record his inner-most thoughts in his pensive moments. He was always hanging out at the Bob Marley Museum singing and playing guitar, and it was there that he was discovered by Cedella Marley.
Yvad's sophomore album was "Justice" in 2004 which included an awesome cover version of John Lennon's "Imagine" which earned rave reviews from critics and disc jocks. Now, he is looking to seal the deal with his third.
The lead single for the album could be 'Sweet Jamaica' or 'The Cry for the Youths' which are both awesome tracks that this reporter was able to listen to during the interview. It showed that Yvad remains as irrepressible as ever, and his mellow, ital vibes bleed out of the tracks.
"When the album is complete, I intend to shop it around to the major record companies, but if doesn't work out, I plan to sell and distribute this album myself. The message has to get out," he said.
And that it will. We have a feeling that the whole world will be beating a path to his door to listen to Yvad's unique reggae stylings. You can bet your house on it.
