Patrice Bart-Williams

Patrice
Patrice Bart-Williams, Cologne Germany, 2013
Background information
Birth name	Patrice Bart-Williams
Also known as	Patrice Babatunde
Born	(1979-07-09) July 9, 1979 (age 37) Kerpen, Germany
Origin	Freetown, Sierra Leone
Genres	Sweggae
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Supow Music
Website	patrice.net

Patrice Babatunde Bart-Williams (born July 9, 1979 in Kerpen, North Rhine-Westphalia), better known as Patrice, is a Sierra Leonean-German singer-songwriter, music producer and film-maker. Raised by a Sierra Leonean father and a German mother, Patrice Bart-Williams grew up listening to Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Champion Jack Dupree, Max Romeo, Buju Banton, Dancehall and Hip Hop music, writing his own songs from the age of 12.

Patrice was born the same day his paternal grandfather died, causing his father to give him the middle name, “Babatunde,” which means the father has returned. His first name was inspired by Patrice Lumumba. Patrice’s father, Gaston Bart-Williams, was Sierra Leone’s first film director. He encouraged Patrice to meet many and interact with many musical acts passing through Germany, sparking an early interest in diverse genres. Gaston died in a boating accident when Patrice was 11 years old.

Patrice began playing guitar and writing songs in early adolescence, after the loss of his father. Influenced heavily by reggae, skate culture and punk music, he began mixing genres and styles. He formed an Afro-beat/reggae band called Bantu through which he met producer Matthias Arfmann, who subsequently produced Patrice’s debut EP, Lions, released in 1999. Later that same year, Patrice supported Lauryn Hill on the European leg of her Miseducation tour.

Lions began attracting attention from major labels who were interested in the reggae, soul and folk sound of the EP. In 2000, Sony released Patrice’s first full-length album, Ancient Spirits.

Two years later, the soulful full-length album “How Do You Call It” was released, featuring the single, “Sunshine.” Patrice had already begun to produce his own music…

Patrice went on to collaborate with German reggae collective, Silly Walks, in 2003 and released the project, “Silly Walks Meets Patrice.’’

This constant output of albums and uncategorizable catalogue became emblematic of Patrice’s musical style and allowed him to attract a diverse range of fans and critics. He gained followings within different fan bases and began to successfully headline Europe’s biggest music festivals.