Miss Pat Chin – My Reggae music journey. A seminal autobiography of her music journey through the evolution of reggae music and beyond…

MILES AHEAD In Reggae Music’ is no longer just a sexy, catchy phrase being bandied about by the folks at VP Records Distributors.
IN FACT, it underscores the journey of one enterprising family who, looking to get by, figured that the then-fledgling business of Jamaica’s popular culture was a safe way of putting food on the table.
And so, what started as a regular 9-5, on a busy street corner in the bustling Kingston metropolis, has grown into a major cultural empire, on a carefully curated journey that began in 1958.
That entertaining journey that has now stretched for miles and miles around the globe, is expertly chronicled in a hardcover volume of 212 pages, and recounted by Patricia Chin, who has been there from the start. She is too many the matriarch of Jamaica’s popular culture and the reggae genre, in particular. Set for general release in mid-March this year, the book, decades in the making, tells the important ‘her story’ of 84-year-old Patricia Chin, co-founder of VP Records, whose 60-year journey in the music industry has taken her and her family from Kingston, Jamaica, to Jamaica, Queens, NY, and far beyond the confines of the cultural art form.
Beautifully illustrated by the late Michael Thompson, ‘The Journey’ presents a colourful memoir on the life and work of reggae icon ‘Miss Pat’ and her late husband ‘Randy’, with quotes and remembrances from luminaries, including former Jamaican prime minister, the late Edward Seaga, Chris Blackwell, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Marcia Griffiths, and the late producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee. It is presented with many never-before-seen artistes and family photos.
‘My Reggae Music Journey’ chronicles the rise and development of Randy’s Record Mart, the famed music shop and recording studio in downtown Kingston, Jamaica, co-founded with her late husband Vincent ‘Randy’ Chin in 1958, to the family’s migration to New York City, wherein the late 1970s VP Record Distributors was established.

PERSONAL INSIGHT
The book shares personal insights on the rise of the Jamaican music industry, and nuggets of wisdom on business and life. Through decades of transition,‘Miss Pat’ has triumphed over adversity, both personally and professionally. ‘My Reggae Music Journey’ testifies to the indomitable spirit that is Patricia Chin.
“I have always been proud to be a woman. It’s a journey I know all too well. This is why I tell young women that they can do more than take care of their home and children. I tell them they can run a home and business at the same time, if they really want to. Just start where you are, the rest will follow.”
Without a doubt, Patricia ‘Miss Pat’ Chin is the dynamic force behind VP Records, the world’s largest reggae music label, a person of unmatched energy and enthusiasm. She is a mother of four, grandmother of 12 and great-grandmother of three.
At a time when the world is celebrating women, the story of Miss Pat – who is Chinese-Jamaican and Indian – is an inspiration to women the world over, to music buffs, culture seekers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
Up close, readers will quickly realise that ‘Miss Pat: My Reggae Music Journey’ is not a typical ‘vanity’ autobiography. It is a book about family, love of home and homeland, perseverance and business agility.
It is simply a ‘must-read’ for anyone in the entertainment industry.