JMG INTERVIEWS PATORANKING, THE FIRST AFRICAN TO PERFORM ON A JAMAICAN STAGE

Hi how are you and what is your stage name ?
My name is Patoranking

Where are you from and where are you currently living right now?

Im from Lagos Nigeria

How old are you?

I am twenty-seven.

I know tribes are very important in Nigeria, what tribe are you from?
I am Igbo
What do you call your music?
My music is Dancehall with Afro Beat Fusion
How long have you been doing it?
Professionally, I have been singing for ten years, I started off as a dancer at a very young age.
Why was this your choice of music?
I chose Dancehall because I’ve always wanted to be different from everybody. I have always wanted to be part of people who liked a different sound. I tried to be the exception and that is why as a Nigerian I chose Dancehall. I included Afrobeat because of my culture I wanted to carry my people along with my music

How do you feel when you heard that it was loved in Jamaica?
I felt very happy because Jamaica was a place ive been looking forward to, for the fact it is loved there its a big accomplishment for me.

Your song ”my woman” has been making waves in Jamaica, how did you get it to cross over?

I think it is the power of good music. When people love what you do it will travel and transcend. I think music is universal so I am very happy.

This year, for the first time , a Nigerian artiste will be on Reggae Sumfest’s bill, how do you feel about being the first artiste to do this?

This is history and is going to go down memory lane forever. Reggae Sumfest is the biggest Reggae show and im the first african artiste to do this , It’s history and I am happy.

What do you think about the merge of cultures using the music?
It’s unity, and it’s a wonderful linkage. I strongly believe that it’s going to make the Jamaicans connect back home to the motherland. For Nigerians it is going to promote cultural diversions , it is a good and promising thing.

What is the most important thing you want your fans to know about you?
I want them to understand my music, my life and my struggles through my music.
What do you think of Dancehall music right now and which Dancehall artiste is your role model?
I think of life when I think of Dancehall, people want to dance, everybody wants to dance. Regardless of what others think, music is life. With all the problems in the world I feel that Dancehall is very important to this generation. We just need to dance away our problems regardless of what is going on. A lot of artiste have used dancehall to address national issues, to talk about life and reality that is how important the music is. My role models are Vybz Kartel , Busy Signal, Mavado, Bouty Killer and Beenieman. Dancehall has a lot of artiste that I admire, its really too many to name.

How long have you been listening to Dancehall?
I started as a dancer at carnivals in Nigeria and they play a lot of Dancehall. I grew up listening to Shabba Ranks and the greats of the 90ties.

Who do you feel is the most influential dancehall artiste?
Bounty Killer because he has been able to create a lot of talent like Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal, Mavado and many others. He has the most influence in Dancehall right now.

How did you feel when you were contacted about performing at Reggae Sumfest?
I felt very happy because it is something that I’ve always looked forward to.

What do you hope Jamaica will take away from your performance?
I want to be able to introduce jamaicans to my culture I want to know where I’m coming from .
You were in Jamaica earlier this year, what was that for?

I was there to do a video to my song Daniella Whine with Elephant man and Konshens.
How was the experience?
It was a very good experience, the people and country is beautiful. Even though the media doesnt show us what we need to hear, it was a good experience and I enjoyed it.
How was it working with Elephant Man and Konshens?
It was very nice. They are good people , they are my friends.