Night & Day

thursday
april 16
Yellowman has overcome bouts with cancer and the prejudice related to his albinism to become one of reggae's best-selling artists. The Jamaican started off as a DJ in the mid-Seventies, then leaped to huge popularity in the Eighties as a cornerstone of dancehall music. Long ago he traded in his turntables for his support band, Sagittarius. Although he has mellowed a bit from his risque dancehall heyday, he's storming into Stella Blue (1661 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach) tonight with plenty of oomph to help you get your irie up and out. Showtime is 9:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Call 532-4788. (LB)

friday
april 17
Outlandish costumes, unwieldy props, insistent music, and frenetic choreography are a few of the hallmarks of the Desrosiers Dance Theatre, a troupe led by one of Canada's most acclaimed choreographers, Robert Desrosiers. Founded in 1980, the company, which has garnered plaudits for its distinctive, dramatic shows, comes to South Florida for the first time this weekend to help the Miami Light Project conclude its adventurous contemporary performance series. On the bill: a two-act show featuring highlights from the troupe's repertoire, including its monumental Musical Chairs. The dancing gets under way tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 at the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $20. Call 531-3747. (NK)

saturday
april 18
During the Fifties if you took a look around the swinging, smoky nightclubs of New York City, the only people you might have seen on a regular basis were musicians, resident barflies, and a guy named Herman Leonard. A former assistant to the famed portraitist Yousuf Karsh, Leonard is a photographer who often shot for Life, Look, and Esquire magazines. His love of jazz, however, led him to hang around bars and clubs in Harlem and on 52nd Street, where he created evocative images of performers such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Charlie Parker. Those photos ended up stashed in a cardboard box under Leonard's bed until 1987, when a London art gallery mounted a highly successful exhibition of his work. Since then his images have been displayed in more than 60 galleries around the world. Meet the legendary lensman tonight at 7:00 when he inaugurates his latest show, Jazz Memories, at the Barbara Gillman Gallery, 939 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Admission is free. Call 534-7872. (NK)

Cyrus Chestnut plays what some consider the Devil's music -- jazz -- but his heart has always been in the church. Not that the celebrated pianist-composer-arranger has ever aspired to the priesthood, but his churchly ties are undeniable. His grandfather was a minister who played piano, and Chestnut's latest CD (his sixth) is titled Blessed Quietness: A Collection of Hymns, Spirituals, and Carols. Chestnut -- who has worked alongside greats such as trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and vocalists Jon Hendricks and Betty Carter -- claims the album reveals his sensitive, spiritual side. So appropriately enough, the Cyrus Chestnut Trio performs a concert to benefit local gospel ensemble Jubilate tonight at 8:30 at the Coral Gables Congregational Church (3010 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables). Tickets range from $20 to $30. Call 448-7421. (NK)

sunday
april 19
Often utilizing the help of hundreds of volunteers and incorporating mass quantities of odd materials (3000 ears of corn, 750,000 pennies, and 15,000 teeth!), installation artist Ann Hamilton creates works that have gained international recognition for their grand scale and complexity. Perhaps that's why the Miami Art Museum (101 W. Flagler St.) has devoted not one but two exhibitions to Hamilton. The Body and the Object combines video, photographs, sundry objects, and sound works to provide a look at the installations she has made since 1984. Mantle, a work specially commissioned by the museum, takes inspiration from the sights and sounds Hamilton experienced while driving around Miami during a trip here this past winter. Both shows run through June 7. Admission is five dollars. Call 375-3000. (NK)

monday
april 20
One of South Florida's few unspoiled assets, Biscayne National Park turns 30 this year. Home of incredible coral reefs and fascinating marine life, the park boasts some pretty spectacular views above the sea as well. In honor of its birthday, Biscayne pays tribute to The Mangrove Coast by mounting an exhibition of photographs by Miami native Barry Fellman, whose works have been shown at galleries in New York City, Boston, and San Francisco. Concentrating on an area of Biscayne Bay's mangrove shoreline that was nearly decimated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the vibrant large-format color prints document the resilience of nature by showing the site's revival. The photos are on display daily from 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. through June 30 at the park's Convoy Point Visitor Center, 9700 SW 328th St., Homestead. Admission is free. Call 230-1144. (NK)