New Single Patrice ft Mr Eazi/ Tall Shade
Reflecting on his musical journey spanning over twenty years, Patrice offers sage advice on ‘Tall Shade’, the latest single from this enigmatic creative. Produced by Jugglerz Records out of Germany the catchy anthem also features Afrobeats sensation Mr. Eazi delivering words of wisdom in his own signature style.
Born to a Sierra Leonean father and a German mother, and named in honour of an African revolutionary, the multitalented performer describes his sound as ‘Sweggae’, a blend of seemingly distant influences, not unlike his own background, but with a decidedly African consciousness. In similar form, his new release ‘Tall Shade’ contains enjoyable elements of Afrobeats and Reggae nicely combined into a catchy mid-tempo groove.
With an abundance of songs proliferating the airwaves that are rapidly consumed and quickly forgotten it can often be challenging for artists to grab and retain the attention of fickle audiences, but through the breezy instrumentation of ‘Tall Shade’ Patrice’s voice pierces the atmosphere with a powerful statement sure to join the long list of quotable lines from this talented songwriter: “When you stand tall you throw shade.”.
The song’s various melodies are as moving and uplifting as their subject matter. Filled with inspirational idioms and wrapped in head-bopping melodies, ‘Tall Shade’ is a smooth yet profound offering from the seasoned musician. When asked if the song is part of a bigger body of work the singer had this to say:
“For sure! I’ve always said that every album has been sort of a fun struggle with myself because I’m in a constant process of change, of destruction and reconstruction. So, this new song and the material I’ll soon be releasing is reflective of that process, of my evolution as an artist and a person.”.
Patrice shared that his soon to be released and still untitled ninth studio album, due summer 2020, contains sounds as diverse as his heritage and cultural interests. Maintaining this borderless, genre-less approach to music creation, he feels, is critical to maintaining his integrity as an artist.
About Patrice
Patrice Bart-Williams, known simply as Patrice, is a multitalented singer-songwriter that has been straddling musical genres and syles of creative expression for over two decades. From Europe to Africa and the Caribbean he has continuously reinvented himself across a multitude of projects ranging from music to fashion to film.
Having both Sierra Leonean and German heritage and being named in honour of an African revolutionary, this eclectic performer who describes his unique sonic blend as ‘Sweggae’, cuts a cool figure when not immersed in performance behind a microphone or an instrument. With a decidedly African consciousness and an international appeal he is an artistic ambassador that shares a profound message with each of his creations.
Born in 1979 and raised in a town outside the city of Cologne by his German mother and Sierra Leonan father, Patrice found fairly early the importance of connecting with creativity especially as encouraged by his father, Gaston Bart-Williams, a renowned figure in African cinema. After suffering the tragic loss of his father at eleven years old, the course of his life was suddenly changed, forcing him inwards to the depths of his creativity. He soon began playing the guitar and writing songs.
Influenced by the soundtrack of his youth and the mood of the world as he felt it, his revolutionary spirit was ignited by Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan alike. Playing with various bands across Germany as a teenager helped him grow in confidence and eventually led him to form his own Afrobeat/Reggae fusion group called Bantu. It was while performing with this group that he met Matthias Arfmann and the producer took interest, collaborating with Patrice in the creation of his debut EP, ‘Lions’, released in 1999.
Lions EP generated considerable attention from major labels excited by its cross-cultural appeal and in 2000 Sony Music released his first full-length album titled ‘Ancient Spirits’. Since that debut over twenty years ago Patrice has released 8 full length albums, most recently ‘Life’s Blood’ in 2016. He has soundly established himself as a versatile and creative performer across multiple media, including film, photography, event curation and music production. He has also produced hit singles for other artists, most notably Selah Sue’s smash ‘Ragga Muffin’ which was later re-released in the US featuring J. Cole, as well as a slew of production work with acts like Ceelo Green and Cody ChestnuTT.
2020 sees Patrice return with ‘Tall Shade’ a thumping Afro-pop jam produced by Germany’s Jugglerz Records and featuring the sensational Mr. Eazi out of Nigeria. This catchy and uplifting song represents yet another evolution of Patrice and his musical expression. ‘When you stand tall, you throw shade’ – is but one of many powerful words of advice shared by him on the memorable track. Bridging the gap between Reggae and Afrobeats, Patrice feels this song helps reunite the Motherland and the African diaspora.
Patrice prefers for his creations to be uncategorized. He feels the obsessive division of genres runs counter to his mission to make music that’s authentic to himself, his generation of artists and those to come. Determined to maintain his artistic integrity, he shares:
“Borders feel unnatural to me, and so I do music from that point of view. I make music that sounds like the world we live in.”
Patrice is now in the final stages of completion for his ninth studio album, still untitled, due late summer 2020. This collection of songs reflects years of inner work and tell the story of Patrice at this stage of his human and artistic expression.
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