VP Records, Miss Pat ‘do it for the culture’ - Standing ovation for female music pioneer at Grounation

The humorous, youthful-looking Patricia Chin, affectionately known as Miss Pat, has dedicated six decades to building the careers of reggae music and its stars, but at last Sunday’s Reggae/Black History Month Grounation 2020 series, the VP Records doyenne was the real star of the show. The stage was set for the staging of ‘Blackhead Chineyman: The Chinese Connection to Jamaican Music’, which pays tribute to the contribution of the Chinese to Jamaican popular music.

The Institute of Jamaica lecture hall was almost bulging at the seams to accommodate the curious and the knowledge seekers who wanted to be part of the VP Records takeover. Panellists, Miss Pat and her sons Clive and Chris, were joined by moderators Clyde McKenzie and Wayne Chen. Together, they took the audience on an edge-of-their-seats journey through the establishment of Randy’s Records on East Street in the 1950s through to their move to 17 North Parade, and eventually relocating to the USA in 1977, where they continued their record store business, eventually becoming VP Records, the largest distributor of reggae music worldwide.

The spunky Miss Pat, the ‘P’ in VP, was as integral to the business as her husband, Vincent. She told stories of how in the early days when persons would call about records and they would hear her voice at the other end of the phone and demand to speak to a man. “Miss Pottinger and I were the only females in the business, so when they heard a female voice, they would say, ‘Put a man on the phone because I don’t think you know what I want’. And I would say, ‘Test me’,” Miss Pat said, to much laughter.

In a speech which was punctuated by spontaneous claps of approval from the audience, and flavoured with the word ‘culture’, the VP Records founder emphasised that she was happy that she packed her culture in her suitcase and carried it with her when she migrated to the States 40 years ago. “I brought my music and my culture with me. All they knew about over there was Bob Marley, so we had to educate them about other artistes. Our music and culture is one of the best anywhere in the world,” she told the Grounation gathering sincerely.

Miss Pat noted that in the 60 years that she has been involved in music, VP Records remains committed to developing young artistes and giving back to the community. For this work, Patricia Chin has received many honours, the most recent of which took place last week. She said, “I was at a function to honour me and there were four of us being honoured. Our pictures were on the wall, and of the four, I am the only one alive,” the diminutive octogenarian stated, and the people clapped and laughed.

KNOWING YOUR CLIENTS

She noted that the secret to VP’s longevity lay in knowing their clients and responding to the needs of the market. Over the years, VP has dealt with a multitude of artistes of varying temperaments, some of whom have poured vitriol on the company. “When the artistes are having a hard time, I tell Chris, ‘Don’t worry, tomorrow is another day’,” she said calmly. “It is important to know our customers. My foreparents couldn’t speak English, they knew their customers by their faces,” she said, adding with a laugh, “so face recognition deh bout long time!”

Her sons took the opportunity to shower Miss Pat with praise. “My mother – all I’ve known about the business, she taught me,” Clive Chin told the Grounation audience. “My life was going down to 17 North Parade, leaving Kingston College on North Street, to learn the business, and I learnt it well. My mother has been my teacher, my mentor, my everything. Miss Pat grew me into what I am today and I have to give her honour,” Clive shared.

Chris Chin, who said he was touched by the theme of this year’s Grounation, echoed Clive’s sentiments, “My mom in particular was the driving force behind the business. I grew up in the business, and I also went to KC. I knew a lot of the artistes – Beenie, Sean Paul, Tanto Metro and Devonte. We were doing business and if they were successful, I would be too,” he said.

In closing, Miss Pat stated, “The Chinese and the blacks, we are intertwined. We are ‘out of many, one’. I remember coming off a ship in Antarctica and there was a two-piece band playing One Love. We likkle but we tallawah,” she said to an audience who saluted her with a standing ovation, having been inspired by what Clyde McKenzie called “the story of a great Jamaican company”.

The Jamaica Music Museum’s annual Grounation series kicked off February 9. Director and curator, Herbie Miller, said that he was happy with the response to this year’s series. “It was under inhumane conditions that that Africans and Chinese came to Jamaica, a small island far beyond the continents from which they were both transported. Their embrace of one another was a virtuous manifestation of humanity’s willingness to peacefully and respectfully coexist in an environment that was hostile to both groups, albeit in varying degrees.”

The series finale this afternoon explores the topic ‘Dragon’s Nest: Beverly’s, Dynamic Sounds and Top Deck’, with Kevin O’Brien Chang as moderator and Derrick Morgan, Julie Ann Lee, Neville Hines and Keith Lyn as the panellists.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com