Pato Banton
Pato Banton | |
---|---|
Publicity photo of Banton | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Patrick Murray |
Born | Birmingham, England | 5 October 1961
Origin | Birmingham, England |
Genres | Reggae |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1980s–present |
Labels | Fashion, Ariwa, IRS |
Website | www |
Pato Banton (born Patrick Murray, 5 October 1961) is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname "Pato" (Jamaican Patois for "wise owl") from his stepfather, and "Banton" from the disc jockey slang for a "heavyweight DJ".
Biography
Born in Birmingham, Banton first came to public attention in the early 1980s when he worked with The Beat.[1] He recorded "Pato and Roger a Go Talk" with Ranking Roger, included on the 1982 album Special Beat Service.[2] He went on to record a series of singles for Fashion Records and Don Christie Records.[2] He was one of the guest artists that appeared on the UB40 album Baggariddim in 1985. Banton's debut album was the 1985, Mad Professor-produced Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton, followed in 1987 by Never Give In, which included a collaboration with Paul Shaffer and a follow-up to his earlier collaboration with ranking Roger with "Pato and Roger Come Again".[3] After an EP in 1988, Banton released a more pop-oriented LP, Visions of the World, followed by 1990's Wize Up! (No Compromise), which included a college radio hit in Spirits in the Material World (The Police cover) and another collaboration, "Wize Up!", this time with David Hinds of Steel Pulse.[2]
Banton then worked on a live album and with Mad Professor, and then released 1992's Universal Love. The album Universal Love featured a song covered by Banton called "United We Stand", which was written by fellow Birmingham musician Ray Watts, of the group Beshara. After a 1994 British Number 1 hit in Baby Come Back (originally by Eddy Grant performing with The Equals), with Robin and Ali Campbell of UB40,[2] a best-of album was released, and Banton was invited by Sting to join him on his "This Cowboy Song" single.[3] 1996's Stay Positive was followed by Life Is a Miracle in 2000. Life Is a Miracle received a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album in the 2001 Grammy Awards.[4] More recently, Banton has been playing with Mystic Roots, a reggae band formed in Chico, California.
A period of deep reflection and meditation left Pato feeling guided to continue his musical journey. In early 2005 Spiritual Guide Yahe Boda invited Pato to do a short tour across America to “Gather the People in Praise.” This experience led to Pato recording the inspired double album entitled The Words of Christ, a narrated album of Christ's teachings as revealed in The Urantia Book.[citation needed]
In 2006 he appeared onscreen in a brief cameo role, playing Jay, the owner of an upmarket bar, in the film Lycanthropy.[citation needed]
Pato's most recent release is Destination Paradise (2008). He began 2009 with the formation of a new band, The Now Generation, who undertook a nation-wide tour of the United States, with a commitment to spreading the teachings of The Urantia Book. In the early 2010 Pato performed a special Ska-version show in Tijuana with The Ghostownians as backing-band. Throughout the performance he gave a peace message to the audience to counter the violence there at the time.
Discography
- Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton (1985)
- Never Give In (1987)
- Visions Of The World (1989)
- Mad Professor Recaptures Pato Banton (1990)
- Wize Up! (No Compromize) (1990)
- Live & Kickin All Over America (1991)
- Universal Love (1992)
- Collections (1994)
- Stay Positive (1996)
- Time Come (1999)
- Tudo De Bom - Live In Brazil (2000)
- Life Is A Miracle (2000)
- Live At The Maritime - San Francisco (2001)
- The Best Of Pato Banton (2002)
- Positive Vibrations (2007)
- Pato Banton and Friends (2008)
- Destination Paradise (2008)
Filmography
- Lycanthropy (2006)
References
- ^ Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn., Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p.403
- ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p.19-20
- ^ a b Moskowitz, David V. (2006), Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, pp. 21-22.
- ^ CNN.com - Entertainment - 43rd Grammy Awards - February 21, 2001