Patra (singer)
Encyclopedia
Patra is a reggae
singer
. In her beginnings as a Female Dancehall
deejay
in the late 1980s, she used the stage name
, Lady Patra. She first made an impression on the US
charts
as a featured singer on the Shabba Ranks
song
, "Family Affair," which hit #84 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1994.
recording
, "Worker Man", peaked at #53 later that year on the Hot 100, reached the Top 20 on the R&B
chart and #1 on the U.S. Dance
chart. Her second single, "Romantic Call" (#55 U.S., #21 U.S. Dance), was a collaboration with emcee Yo-Yo
. Her debut album
Queen of The Pack (#1 on the Reggae albums chart) also featured the hit single, "Think (About It)
" (#21 U.S. Rap
, #89 U.S. R&B). Her second album, Scent of Attraction, sold slightly less but still reached #2 on the Reggae albums chart. The biggest hit was her cover
of Grace Jones
's "Pull Up to the Bumper
" (#60 U.S.) and the title track, featuring R&B
musician
Aaron Hall (#82 U.S.)
Patra also performed on the 1995 Panther
movie
soundtrack
with the song "Freedom (Theme from Panther)," a collaboration between the American
music industry's leading urban female vocalists. She also performed on C+C Music Factory
's remix
of its hit single "Take a Toke" that same year.
More recently Patra featured on the Two Culture Clash project in 2004, where she was featured on the album’s lead single, "How Do You Love," featuring fellow reggae artist
, Danny English.
Patra is currently in the Bahamas recording her album, 'Changes', and under new management of the Box 10 Entertainment Group, which is headed by long time friend and roadie Dawn Simpson.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. In her beginnings as a Female Dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
in the late 1980s, she used the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, Lady Patra. She first made an impression on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
as a featured singer on the Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Family Affair," which hit #84 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1994.
Career
Her first soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, "Worker Man", peaked at #53 later that year on the Hot 100, reached the Top 20 on the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart and #1 on the U.S. Dance
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. Her second single, "Romantic Call" (#55 U.S., #21 U.S. Dance), was a collaboration with emcee Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo (rapper)
Yo-Yo is a Grammy-nominated American hardcore rapper and actress. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop music. She is the protege of gangsta rapper Ice Cube...
. Her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Queen of The Pack (#1 on the Reggae albums chart) also featured the hit single, "Think (About It)
Think (About It)
"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
" (#21 U.S. Rap
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
, #89 U.S. R&B). Her second album, Scent of Attraction, sold slightly less but still reached #2 on the Reggae albums chart. The biggest hit was her cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
's "Pull Up to the Bumper
Pull Up to the Bumper
"Pull Up to the Bumper" was the second single released by Grace Jones from her critically acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing and has since come to be one of Jones' signature tunes. The song was co-written by Jones herself, Sly Dunbar, Dana Mano and Robbie Shakespeare.Upon its release, the song...
" (#60 U.S.) and the title track, featuring R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Aaron Hall (#82 U.S.)
Patra also performed on the 1995 Panther
Panther (film)
Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
with the song "Freedom (Theme from Panther)," a collaboration between the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music industry's leading urban female vocalists. She also performed on C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory is a dance-pop and hip hop group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés which stopped recording 1996, following Cole's death...
's remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of its hit single "Take a Toke" that same year.
More recently Patra featured on the Two Culture Clash project in 2004, where she was featured on the album’s lead single, "How Do You Love," featuring fellow reggae artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, Danny English.
Patra is currently in the Bahamas recording her album, 'Changes', and under new management of the Box 10 Entertainment Group, which is headed by long time friend and roadie Dawn Simpson.
Albums
- Queen of the Pack (1993)
- Scent of Attraction (1995)
- The Great Escape (2003)
- Where I've Been (2005)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Rap Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
US Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
|||
| 1993 | "Think (About It)" | – | 89 | 21 | – | Queen of the Pack |
| 1994 | "Worker Man" | 53 | 20 | 5 | 1 | Queen of the Pack |
| 1994 | "Romantic Call" | 55 | 35 | 9 | 21 | Queen of the Pack |
| 1995 | "Pull Up to the Bumper" | 60 | 21 | – | 15 | Scent of Attraction |
| 1996 | "Scent of Attraction" | 82 | 31 | – | – | Scent of Attraction |
Soundtracks
- 1996: The AssociateThe Associate (soundtrack)The Associate is the original motion picture soundtrack of the self-titled movie from 1996, starring Whoopi Goldberg, the winner of a Grammy, seven Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony, as well as an Oscar....
(on "Are You Ready for Me")
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
External links
- [ Allmusic profile]