Pato Banton Live at the Beachcomber

Born and raised in Birmingham, England (where he still resides), Pato was introduced to music as an MC in his stepfather's traveling reggae disco sound-system act called V-Rocket. At a very young age, he was already mixing records and 'toasting' fast Jamaican rapping to a heavy beat. While establishing a strong local following and reputation, he caught the ear of the English Beat's Ranking Roger, who took young Pato under his wing and pushed him into becoming a musical performer in his own right and expanding his sights beyond Birmingham. It paid off. With the release of his first two albums entitled 'Never Give In' and 'Vision Of The World,'respectively, Pato's status began to blossom around the world. Two subsequent studio records ('Universal Love' and 'Wize Up') combined with constant touring firmly entrenched him as a musical force to be reckoned with. Although Pato has always had major success in the United States (album sales and touring), he has become a bona fide megastar in Europe and South America, selling over 3,000,000 albums and headlining stadium tours. The 1996 release of Banton's fifth studio album, 'Stay Positive' spurred the Top 5 UK single, 'Groovin'.'