Patti Boulaye

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Patti Boulaye
OBE
Boulaye in 2019
Boulaye in 2019
Background information
Birth namePatricia Ngozi Ebigwei
Born (1954-05-03) 3 May 1954 (age 67)
Mid-Western Region, Nigeria
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Years active1970–present
LabelsPresident
Websitepattiboulaye.com

Patricia Ngozi Komlosy[1] OBE (née Ebigwei; born 3 May 1954), known professionally as Patti Boulaye, is a British-Nigerian singer, actress and artist who rose to prominence after winning New Faces in 1978 and was among the leading black British entertainers in the 1970s and 1980s. In her native Nigeria she is best remembered for starring in Lux commercials and Bisi, Daughter of the River, as well as her own series, The Patti Boulaye Show.[2]

Her stage name is said to have been inspired by the actress Evelyn "Boo" Laye.

Early life[]

Boulaye was born after her mother went into labour in a taxi that was passing through two towns in Mid-Western Nigeria and was raised in a strict Catholic household with nine children, including airline pilot Tony Ebigwei, who was killed in the Nigerian Airways plane crash of 1978. She is of Igbo origin.[3][4] As a teenager Boulaye survived the 1967–70 Biafran war and attributes this to her strong faith.

At the age of 16 she left Nigeria for the United Kingdom[5] where she decided to become a nun but, during a sightseeing trip in London, Boulaye stood in a queue for, what she assumed, was Madame Tussauds but turned out to be an audition for the original London production of Hair and soon won a part, which launched her career in musicals. Her father, who did not approve of showbusiness, disowned his daughter but later forgave her.[6]

Career[]

Stage[]

After Hair, she featured in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, but landed her first starring role as Yum Yum in The Black Mikado under her birth name, Patricia Ebigwei.[7]

Other stage productions she has starred in include the title role in Carmen Jones (at London's Old Vic Theatre, in a production directed by Simon Callow) and Jesus Christ Superstar.[8] In 2003 Boulaye launched her West End musical, Sun Dance, which took twelve years to put together. Hailed[by whom?] as a celebration of "the colours and music of Africa in a display of ceremonial dances, rituals and initiation ceremonies, all played out to the beat of African drums". It was written and produced by Boulaye herself and opened at the Hackney Empire.[9] Boulaye featured in an excerpt from the show forming part of the interval act at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, staged at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham

Television[]

In 1978, now with several years of experience under her belt, Boulaye appeared on New Faces, where she was the only contestant in the series to be awarded maximum points by the judges, and would later win the All Winners Final Gala Show. Boulaye played the part of Charlotte opposite Lenny Henry in The Fosters, Dempsey and Makepeace, and Brothers and Sisters. In 1984, she had her own series, The Patti Boulaye Show on Channel 4.[10] The Christmas special, which featured Cliff Richard, was a ratings success and an album was released in conjunction with the screening of the series.

Boulaye has made over 200 TV appearances including Royal Command Performances at the London Palladium.[citation needed] She starred in 12 of BBC TV's annual "Joy to the World" Christmas programmes, produced by Major Sir Michael Parker KCVO CBE at the Royal Albert Hall, with Sir Cliff Richard, Roger Moore and other internationally acclaimed stars. Boulaye appeared in two episodes of Pointless. She appeared as a contestant in a series of BBC's popular Celebrity MasterChef and later in an episode of BBC One's Money For Nothing, and Channel 5's When Talent Shows Go Horribly Wrong.[citation needed]

In January and February 2016 Boulaye appeared in the three-part BBC series The Real Marigold Hotel, which followed a group of celebrity senior citizens, including Miriam Margolyes and Wayne Sleep, on a journey to India.[11]

Patti Boulaye with journalist Garry Bushell

In July 2018, Boulaye devised and hosted her TV chat show series "Life With Patti Boulaye" which is recorded and streamed Worldwide by Disruptive Live TV. Life with Patti Boulaye is the result of Boulaye's concern about the alarming state of the mental health and suicide rates among young people. Guests on the show are from all walks of life and are encouraged to share some of the challenges they have faced and to explain how they overcame them.[citation needed]

Film[]

Boulaye had a starring role in African movie Bisi, Daughter of the River (1977), which was said to be the biggest grossing African movie ever made, running in the cinemas in Nigeria for three years.[12] She starred in The Music Machine – billed as the British Saturday Night Fever – in 1979,[13] and also appeared as a cabaret singer in the 1980 Helen Mirren movie Hussy.

Music[]

Boulaye's victory on New Faces led to the release of the 1978 album You Stepped into My Life. Prior to this, she had spent a year touring and releasing several singles with a British-based American girl group.[14]

Charity[]

Boulaye is the founder and president of the charity "Support for Africa Charity",[15] which has built five clinics in rural Africa and a school with HRH Prince Harry's Charity, "Sentebale", in Lesotho.

Views[]

In 1999, Boulaye defended Conservative Jeffrey Archer after he made alleged derogatory comments about black Britons. During a radio interview, he stated: "[Three decades ago], your head did not turn if a black woman passed because they were badly dressed, probably overweight and probably had a lousy job."[16] Boulaye defended Archer, stating: "I am talking as a black woman who knows Jeffrey Archer very well ... and he is not a racist. I think he would make a very good mayor."[17]

Other work[]

The 1980s saw an increase in fitness awareness and Boulaye was among the celebrities whose voices featured on the Shape Up and Dance keep-fit albums. In Africa, she was the face of Lux for 29 years,[12] The Patti Boulaye Show was shown on several NTA stations, and in 1999 she was invited to sing for Olusegun Obasanjo during his inauguration. In 2002 Boulaye was appointed to the Entertainment Steering Committee for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, and led 5000 gospel singers down The Mall in the celebrations singing songs including "Celebrate Good News", especially written by Boulaye for the occasion.

Boulaye's autobiography, The Faith of a Child, was published in March 2017.[18][better source needed]

In 2017 Boulaye was awarded Visiting Teaching Fellow Middlesex University Business School Faculty of Professional & Social Sciences. She was made a Freeman of the City of London and in 2018 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree for services to the Arts and Education by the Joint Council of Churches.[citation needed]

BIPADA Academy[]

Boulaye is the Founder and Managing Director of BIPADA Academy www.bipada.com which has a list of experts on Life Skills, Emotional, Social, International Etiquette and Personal Development. Bipada helps clients build self confidence and turn their lives around. Bipada has held etiquette programmes at Oxford University, Middlesex University, Central London and Buckinghamshire. She is a Champion and Patron of The Arts Award UK and a Patron of Eastside Educational Trust. Boulaye has been a member of the Board of Governors of The British American Drama Academy (BADA) which is affiliated with Oxford University and Yale University in the US. For the past seven years[clarification needed] she has been a visiting lecturer at Middlesex University to final year students at the Business School Faculty.[citation needed]

Public Speaker & Events[]

Boulaye is a regular inspirational speaker, with over 100 engagements including guest speaker at the Women Federation For World Peace (WFWP) Conference held at the House of Lords, compering and singing at the Rotary International "East Meets West" Celebration Variety Show at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Boulaye was invited by Dr Bodeker of Green College, Oxford, as president of Support for Africa to speak at the Conference for the Worlds Scientists on 'The Use of Herbal Medicine in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS'. As a Peace Ambassador she was a guest speaker at the Universal Peace Federation Conference at Abuja. She was also guest speaker at RSA's "Women in The Big Society" debate and many other speaking engagements.

Boulaye has starred several times in "Music on Fire" the Fireworks Proms at Sandhurst. As a guest of Michael Jackson, Boulaye attended and sang at his 45th Birthday Celebrations in LA. Boulaye has sung at prestigious events including Wembley Stadium for the England V France football finals.

Boulaye's was invited to join the Official Golden Jubilee Entertainment Committee for Her Majesty The Queen's Jubilee celebrations. As a member of The Committee she got together and led a 5,000 strong gospel choir for the Jubilee procession down the Mall in front of Her Majesty the Queen in June 2002. She wrote a song "Jubilee Song (Celebrate Good News)" as a tribute to Her Majesty, which enabled the 5,000 singers to dance and sing during the procession.

Boulaye was the Face of Lux Soap for 29 years in Africa.

Libel action[]

In 1999, Boulaye, then a supporter of the Conservative Party, successfully sued The Guardian for libel after the paper wrongly quoted her as saying "This is a time to support apartheid because it's unfashionable"; she later stated she had been set up by a reporter who claimed to have misheard her when she referred to "a party" (The Conservatives) as opposed to "apartheid".[19] The Guardian was later forced to pay £15,000 in damages.[17]

Personal life[]

A devout Roman Catholic, Boulaye has two children and two grandchildren with husband Stephen Komlosy.[20]

Discography[]

  • Patti Boulaye (1976)
  • You Stepped into My Life (1978)
  • The Music Machine (1979)
  • Magic (1981)
  • Patti (1983)
  • In His Kingdom (2004)
  • Patti Boulaye's Sun Dance [album] (2004)

References[]

  1. ^ "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2015. p. B13.
  2. ^ Patti Boulaye Bio Archived 9 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Lewis, Ros (3 June 2016), "Patti Boulaye: ‘My mother hid up to 30 people at a time in our house’", The Guardian.
  4. ^ Iggulden, Amy (8 April 2005). "'My brother had died in 1978. Now here he was, walking towards me'". The Daily Telegraph.
  5. ^ "Patti Boulaye | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  6. ^ Moreton, Cole (22 September 2007). "Patti Boulaye: 'God took away my career - with a lot of help from the Tories'". The Independent.
  7. ^ Lane, Terry (25 November 2001), "The Black Mikado (1975)" Archived 26 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine, A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  8. ^ Williams, Hazelann (1 March 2014). "Patti Boulaye: African ambassador". The Voice. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  9. ^ Sundance Review Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "biography". pattiboulaye.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  11. ^ "BBC One - The Real Marigold Hotel, Series 1 - The female residents". BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Amawhe, Onome (7 November 2017), "I am glad the Lux advert made such an impact", Vanguard (Nigeria).
  13. ^ Shenton, Mark (29 January 2017). "Leigh Zimmerman, Dominick Allen, Patti Boulaye, Anne Reid, Amanda McBroom and George Hall Among Line-up at London's Crazy Coqs". Playbill. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014.
  14. ^ Cummings, Tony (April 2004). "Patti Boulaye: The African star of musicals goes gospel". Cross Rhythms (80).
  15. ^ "Support For Africa Charity". Support for Africa Charity. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  16. ^ "Black Tory defends Archer". BBC News. 10 August 1999. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Big Picture". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  18. ^ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faith-Child-Patti-Boulaye/dp/1326615998, Yours.
  19. ^ "PARTY' PATTI LIBEL VICTORY". The Daily Mirror. 26 June 1999.
  20. ^ "'My brother had died in 1978. Now here he was, walking towards me'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 September 2020.

Biography Autobiography

External links[]

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