Saturday, November 29th, 2008 | NO COMMENTS
Long Live The Queen!
Not even the possible threat of a Kartel-Mavado clash is likely to eclipse the return of Lady Patra to the Sting stage – at least that’s what the veteran dancehall performer believes.
“My fan base is still there, and you’re going to see that at Sting,” the petite dynamo tells Splash outside the doors of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel’s Talk of the Town.
It’s Tuesday night – the launch of Sting 2008 – the atmosphere is rife with the smells and sounds of dancehall as the once celebrated queen unravels her plans for taking back her crown.
“I’m bringing back sensuality to the Sting stage,” the artiste born Dorothy Smith quips, all pearly-white teeth, girlish giggles and glassy eyes.
She’s no heavier than the 15 or so years ago when she glided across television screens (think MTV, BET) in tight leather riders that hugged her derrière, flashing signature braids that snaked to her thighs and boasting of her sexual prowess.
Tonight, she looks the same – sans braids – but is talking a more mature game.
“Patra is still wild, but she now has a whole lot more to offer. she’s grown, she’s wiser,” the female deejay says and it’s a little creepy how she refers to herself in the third person.
It’s clear that the femme fatale is comfortable in her forty-something skin and it’s a great time to bring up the matter of her all-too-long hiatus.
What has she been up to? Who is she these days and what can Sting patrons expect from her return?
“I’ve been making a little bit of changes,” Patra says, shrugging her shoulders, “I wanted to take a break, I wanted to ensure that I had longevity. that I came back at the right time.”
It all seems a little bit too much to take in at this point. perhaps it’s because the distractions from the stage are too great. But it’s hard to imagine why a woman who had charted internationally several times with hits like the Grace Jones classic Pull Up To My Bumper, Queen Of The Pack, Wucka Man and Romantic Call, appeared in major international glossies and sold millions worldwide isn’t still wearing the crown.
She’s not bothered by it though!
“No sah, I have broken the boundaries,” she says, commenting on how she used sexuality to inspire a new generation of female dancehall performers.
“I have paved the way for them and I think it’s great that so many of them are representing for the music now. we can no longer say that it’s male dominated.”
It’s perhaps a sign that young dancehall femme Tifa interrupts our interview to adulate.
“You are my idol,” Tifa says, embracing the veteran performer.
“See,” Patra smiles, as the young singer walks off to rejoin her company, “there’s a place for the female but they have got to do good songs, no foolishness, good music that will sell.”
Arguably though, Patra hasn’t really left dancehall since her formidable stylings are oft emulated by much of the female acts who prim and preen in the name of artistry.
For Patra, imitation is the best form of flattery.
“I think it’s good that they’ve copied my style, but the world knows there’s only one Patra,” she says.
It doesn’t sound like an empty boast, but rather the statement of a woman who understands the place she’s earned in dancehall’s colourful history.
“I want to continue my legacy,” Patra says mentioning too, that her new album is nearly completed.
“I’m not sure what I want to call it, I’m toying with two names. either The Continuation or Changes,” the female deejay tells Splash. She’s also presiding over the Truck Back riddim, which features Erupt’s ambitious Click Mi Finger.
But will people still be able to identify with this ‘changed’ woman when she hits the Sting stage, come December 26?
“Yes man,” she says, “the image will be on point, I’m gonna bring it. up-to-date braids and all.”
Patra will be working the Sting stage alongside Junie Platinum and Lady G, females from her era.
“We were the foundation and no time better than the 25th anniversary,” the deejay notes.
Sting head honcho Isaiah Leng agrees, pointing out that the move for Lady Patra is a no-brainer.
“Patra has really made an impact on the local and international music scene,” Leng says, “she’s sold millions and very few dancehall females have done that.”
“People will definitely look forward to seeing her.”
Source: Jamaica Observer
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