Patrice

Patrice Bart-Williams entered the world in July 1979 outside Cologne, Germany, to a father from Sierra Leone and a mother from Germany. Early exposure to Burning Spear, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan shaped his musical outlook, prompting him to begin composing original material at age twelve. During adolescence he performed in multiple groups, among them the Afro-beat/reggae outfit Bantu, an affiliation that introduced him to producer Matthias Arfmann. Arfmann helmed Bart-Williams’s debut EP, Lions, issued in 1999. The blend of reggae, soul, and folk on that release drew interest from major labels, resulting in the 2000 Sony album Ancient Spirit. A follow-up, the more refined and less idealistic How Do You Call It?, appeared in 2002. The next year he collaborated with the German reggae collective Silly Walks Movement on the release Silly Walks Meets Patrice. His third studio album, Nile, reached stores in 2005. Throughout much of that year he toured Europe alongside his band Shashamani, solidifying his standing as a dynamic stage presence. That live energy reached an international audience via the 2006 album and accompanying DVD Raw & Uncut.