Godmother of Reggae, Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, Gives Invigorating Interview at Island SPACE as Part of Distinguished Lecture Series
On Thursday, September 28th, Island SPACE welcomed Patricia “Miss Pat” for an insightful interview as part of the Jamaican Consul General, Olivar Mair, Distinguished Lecture Series. After the Verandah filled with guests and the event began, representative of the Consulate Cheryl Winter took the stage to welcome everyone to the event, and to introduce the main sponsor Dr. Lydia Malcom, and guest speaker, Patricia Chin.
Watch the livestream of Miss Pat’s interview on the Island SPACE Facebook here.
Sponsored by Dr. Lydia Malcom of Authentic Behavioral Health LLC and her husband Wainwright Malcom, Dr. Malcom spoke on the crisis within our mental health system. She spoke of a broken system that does not prioritize folks who are not from the United States. . “We’re taking it back, we are taking control.” Dr Malcom decided to support Island SPACE because of the work we do.
An important aspect of mental health is our perceived value, our perceived identity, how we see ourselves. “Island SPACE is providing a way for us to collectively continue our journey of healing and empowerment. With events Island SPACE provides such as the speaker series, we can set forth our own stories, and examples of success through adversity, and build a collective identity.”
The woman behind many successful Jamaican Artists, Miss Pat, took to the stage. President of the Board and co-founder of Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic & Cultural Education, Ms. Calibe Thompson, acted as MC and representative for Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
The interview began with Miss Pat speaking of her early beginning as Randy’s Record Store. There was not much Jamaican music playing in Jamaica, most if not all of it was R&B, so they saw a need for it. Even when Jamaican music started in the 50s, it was not deemed good enough to play on the radio.
It did not take long before Miss Pat realized Jamaican people were gifted with music. She spent much of her early years building up young artists and over time established a friendship with them. “Music gave them a chance to do the right thing.” Miss Pat said passionately. She wanted a studio where they could express themselves and make a career out of singing.
Watch the livestream of Miss Pat’s interview on the Island SPACE Facebook here.
Mrs. Chin spoke of moving to the U.S. in the seventies due to political strife’s in Jamaica at the time. She spoke of the sexism she experienced when people assumed women could not do music. That never stopped her. Her advice was to “never be afraid to ask questions”, Miss Pat always wanted to learn more, did not matter that she was a woman and underestimated.
Miss Pat knew she could sell from the age of twelve, as she always knew what people wanted to buy. She would change her work styles depending on the artist, making sure to work with small and large producers as long as the music was able to have an audience. She never sees a record as bad, someone is always willing to like it.
Now, when traveling the world, she is happy to see that the world enjoys Jamaican music outside of Jamaica. “Because they identify with the culture and the struggle.”
Miss Pat’s book is available on amazon in hardcover and paperback versions.
Her book started as a scrapbook whens he started collecting photos from her family, starting from their immigration form China. In reminiscing on how far she had come, Miss Pat shared her wisdom “After achieving success, when you’re at the top, always bring others up with you. God has always planned for us to help each other.”
Watch the livestream of Miss Pat’s interview on the Island SPACE Facebook here.
After being interviewed by President Thompson, the floor opened to the audience for questions. When asked what has kept her going for all these years, Miss Pat stated that “Everyone is important, so give them the love and what they love to do.” What drives her is her love of music, her people, and her culture.
As for what Miss Pat is currently up to, she has recently started a foundation focused on music education. VP Records has ventured from its roots and has started doing collaborations with non-reggae artists. For her closing remarks, Miss Pat revealed the pride she felt that after 60 years of work, the music, reggae, is still alive and popular
Consul General Oliver Mair came to thank the audience for coming, to thank Patricia Chin for giving an intriguing and heartfelt interview, and to encourage participation in future lectures.
This event is made possible through the generosity of Dr. Lydia Health, LLC and her husband Mr. Wainwright Malcom.
Island SPACE has partnered with the Consul General of Jamaica in Miami to bring you the Distinguished Lecture Series, a series of interviews and panel discussions highlighting prominent and important Jamaican organizations and figures.
Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education (Island SPACE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of arts, culture, history, and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region, in South Florida and the broader diaspora community. Learn more about Island SPACE Caribbean Museum at islandspacefl.org and on our various social media channels.
Visit the facility Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Broward Mall, 8000 West Broward Boulevard, Suite 1202, Plantation, Florida 33388. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Group tours are available by reservation when you call 954-999-0989 or email museum@islandspacefl.org.