Tonight at Skipper’s: Pato Banton
February 4th, 2009 by Leilani Polk in Concerts, News
Skipper’s Smokehouse hosts Island Night every Wednesday. This evening’s edition features Birmingham, England reggae singer/toaster Pato Banton with California’s Mystic Roots backing him up. Yes, it’s supposed to get pretty chilly tonight. No, that shouldn’t deter from going to the show. Here’s some stuff about him you probably don’t know:
1. Last year, Banton released his 16th studio album, Destination Paradise, which, according to reviews, continues his graceful evolution from a strictly reggae artist to a world musician.
2. Banton’s stepfather (Lester Daley) was a DJ fresh out of Jamaica and the house in which they lived was the weekend night spot for the local community. Pato, at age 9, was apparently the lookout for these illegal parties and the unexpected result was an education and interest in reggae music.
3. Banton started performing in his teens using his stepfather’s equipment. He’d keep late hours entertaining and was given the name “Patoo” by his stepfather for a night owl in Jamaica that stays up all night calling “patoo, patoo.”
4. Banton’s radio hits were both covers produced in the 1990s — “Baby Come Back” by The Equals, and “Spirits in the Material World” by The Police.
5. Pato recorded the song “Drive-By Shooting” after two of his sons were accidentally shot in a drive-by in Birmingham in 2000.
6. He frequently works with Ranking Roger of The English Beat and has also collaborated with Paul Shaffer, David Hinds of Steel Pulse, and Robin and Ali Cambpell of UB40.
The show starts at 8 p.m. at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa. Admission is $15.
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