Patti Boulaye
Category: Top Nigerian Musicians
Patti Boulaye is a British- Nigerian singer, actress, painter, choreographer, producer and artist. She was among the leading black British entertainers in the seventies and eighties.
Seventh of the nine children of the Ebigwes, she was born on May 3, 1954 as Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe when her mother was transiting in a taxi home in the Bendel Igbo region of Nigeria.
Boulaye was the face of Lux Beauty Soap commercials for five years and Co-produced “The Patti Boulaye Show” on U.K Channel four, shown on several stations of the National Television Authority of Nigeria (NTA). Her first starring role was a Yum Yum in the “The Black Mikado”
Patricia was raised as a catholic and hoped to become a nun but later became an entertainer.
At the age of sixteen, shortly after the Nigerian Biafra Civil War, she left Nigeria for the United Kingdom. When she left Nigeria in 1970 for London, she found herself auditioning for a West End musical instead of going to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Palace.
She won the audition and began a career as a stage actress, first in Hair at the Shaftesbury Theatre and then Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Phoenix.
Patti joined an all-girl group, “The Flirtations”, she was with them for a year recording several singles.
Her major breaking to stardom was after she met 70-year old English theater actress, Evelyn “Boo” Laye, she changed her name from Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe to Patti Boulaye.
She was disowned by her father for becoming a West End actress, but he later forgave her.
Patti returned to Nigeria and starred in “Bisi, Daughter of the River” an African movie. She won the British TV talent show, “New Faces”; in the competition she had the maximum 120 points making her the only contestant to ever receive the maximum point.
Returning back to London, she joined the “New Faces TV Competition” and won the contest, which led to the release of her album, “You Stepped into My Life”
She appeared in films and programs like the Music Machine in 1979, Carmen Jones and Dempsey & Make Peace.
In 1981 she was named the Female Vocalist of the Year by BBC-TV.
She started her own series, “The Patti Boulaye Show” on UK Channel Four in 1984.
During the 1980s, Boulaye was among celebrities whose voices featured on the “Shape Up and Dance” keep-fit albums.
She sang for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during his 1999 inauguration and performed at the 50th birthday of Prince Hassan of Jordan.
In 2002 Patti arranged for singer Michael Jackson to give an appearance to raise funds for support For Africa during his visit to the United Kingdom. Later she sang at his 45th birthday celebration in LA.
In 2003 she launched her West End musical sun dance.
Boulaye in recent years have done stage production of Patti Boulaye's Sun Dance; a colorful pageant of African custom and dance, for which she wrote several songs, and in 2004 she released the stunning gospel CD In His Kingdom, using African arrangements and instrumentation.
She is a successful painter and jewelry designer, and remains a tireless worker for her charity. In September 2007 she produced Football Reaching Out for Africa (FROFA), a charity event with a mass choir of 3,000 gospel singers and a host of football stars and musicians.
Patti is in the committee of eight British charities and a patron of five, including being on Board of Governors of British American Drama Academy (BADA) Eastside Educational Trust.
Boulaye is a founding member of the Patron’s (Prince Michael of Kent) Enterprise Club for GENESIS the facilitator organization for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the promotion of small businesses.
She is a devout catholic married to Stephen Komlosy, and they have two children- Aret and Sebastian.
Watch Patti's Video:
More videos of Patti Boulaye
Albums
- Christians with Patti Boulaye, 2000 on Century Vista Record Label
- The Magic of Patti Boulaye, 2003 on President Record Label
- In His Kingdom, 2004 on Kingsway Record Label
Patti Boulaye
P.O BOX 3218
Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL97WY
01753885652
07739684525
E-mail: patti@pattiboulaye.com
Website: www.pattiboulaye.com
References
Wikipedia
Allmusic.com
Related Posts via Categories:
Published Under Nigerian Musicians
Send your jokes for publishing to admin@ackcity.net
Be Our Fan On Facebook
Follow Us @ACKCITY On Twitter
Want updates via;
BB: 568235DD
Channel Pin: C00352CD2,
WhatsApp: 2348105649346
Advertise your products & services;
Call: (234) 08121807240, 08105649346
Enquiries: info@ackcity.net
No comments