Packing over 60 years of one’s life in 212 pages is not an easy task, but that’s exactly what Pat Chin did for her first book, “Miss Pat — My Reggae Music Journey”, which will be released on March 20.
Distributed by VP Books, it is available online through pre-order.
“It was a tedious four years but after I finished it I felt relieved and very joyful about what I did,” said Chin, a sprightly 83 year-old.
What the co-founder of VP Records did was recall her life in the music business which started in 1958 when she and her husband Vincent started Randy’s, a record label and recording studio in downtown Kingston.
That company produced a number of classic songs over 20 years including “Independent Jamaica” and “Don’t Stay Out Late” by Lord Creator and “Java” by Augustus Pablo.
In 1979, shortly after the Chins moved to Queens, New York they started VP Records which is the largest distributor of reggae in the world.
Vincent Chin died in 2003 at age 65.
‘Miss Pat’ is not limited to music. Chin also focuses on the diversity of her family who settled in Portland parish, eastern Jamaica during the early 20th Century from India and China.
“I wanted to show the world something about Jamaica, that we are a diverse country — Indian, Chinese, African, Jewish people, Syrians. It’s where I was born, where I grew up and it’s a very special place,” she said.
Proceeds from “Miss Pat — My Reggae Music Journey” will go to the Vincent and Pat Chin Foundation, a charity that was established in 2020.
Written By Howard Campbell
01/16/2021
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