Origins
The song's title "Pata Pata" means "touch touch" in theThe male dancers stand in a row with their arms extended out to the front, palms to the floor, while the women pat each in turn in a manner resembling security search body-frisking, after which the men do the same to the women.Makeba's "Pata Pata" was not the only song inspired by the "Pata Pata" dance. Her "Pata Pata" melody was based on an instrumental "Phatha Phatha" by Shumi Ntutu and Isaac Nkosi, which was in turn based on "Noma Kumnyama" by Alson Mkhize. The popular 1956 "Ei Yow Phata Phata" by
Recordings
Makeba's "Pata Pata" was originally sung, recorded, and released in South Africa by Makeba'sPata Pata is the name of a dance at si pata pataWe do down Johannesburg way at si pata pataAnd everybody starts to move at si pata pataAs soon as Pata Pata starts to play - hoo at si pata pata/blockquote> The second spoken recitation goes: "Every Friday and Saturday night, It's Pata Pata time. The dance keeps going all night long, til' the morning sun begins to shine.". The original (1967) version of "Pata Pata" is included on ''Pata Pata'' (released 1972), ''The Best of the Early Years (Miriam Makeba)'', a collection of 24 tracks released in 2002 byWrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them le ..., and the 40-track compilation ''Her Essential Recordings: The Empress of African Song'' (2006 Manteca). In 1988, a duet version withChayanne Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28, 1968), better known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, making him one of ...was made. It was included in the album ''Chayanne Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28, 1968), better known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, making him one of ...''. In 1990 Makeba re-recorded the song for her own album ''Welela ''Welela'' is an album by the South African musician Miriam Makeba, released in 1989. It was produced primarily by Sipho Mabuse. Critical reception ''The New York Times'' wrote that "Makeba mixes old and new on ''Welela'', using a polished mode ...''. Makeba also released a renovated version of the song, entitled "Pata Pata 2000", in her 2000 album ''Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...''.
Reception
Makeba's 1967 version was successful on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and peaked at No. 12. On the night she died, Miriam Makeba performed "Pata Pata" just before she collapsed on stage.
Charts
Other versions
* 1966:Lynn Taitt Lynn Taitt (22 June 1934 – 20 January 2010) was a guitarist born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, who later moved to Jamaica and became a pioneer of rocksteady music. Biography Born Nerlynn Taitt, in San Fernando, Trinidad, he got his s ...(Merritone 7" single released by Federal Records) Rocksteady Instrumental * 1967: Wilson Simonal (Alegria Alegria Vol.1) * 1968: Los Rockin Devils (Pata-Pata Psicodelico Días) * 1968: Señor Soul (Señor Soul Plays Funky Favorites) * 1968: El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico ("Pata Pata Jala Jala Boogaloo" album) * 1968:The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...("T.C.B." soundtrack album and TV broadcast) * 1968: Braňo Hronec Orchestra (TV music film "Desať a štvrť") * 1969: Tito Puente and His Orchestra ("The King Tito Puente / El Rey Tito Puente" album) * 1980:Osibisa Osibisa are a Ghanaian-British Afro-Rock band founded in London in the late 1960s by four expatriate West African and three London based Caribbean musicians. Osibisa were the most successful and longest lived of the African-heritage bands in ...(''Mystic Energy'' album) * 1980: Sylvie Vartan (French singer of Bulgarian origin: "Tape Tape" single from the album ''Bienvenue Solitude'') * 1981: Prima Vera (''Den 5te'' album) * 1985:Otto Waalkes Otto Gerhard Waalkes (born 22 July 1948) is a German comedian, actor, and musician. He became famous in the 1970s and 1980s in Germany with his shows, books and films. His best known trademark are the 'Ottifanten' ('Ottiphants'), elephant-like c ...in his Film Debut (Otto – der Film) * 1988:Chayanne Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28, 1968), better known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, making him one of ...feat.Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she w ...(included in '' Chayanne II'') * 1989:Triple & Touch Triple & Touch is a Swedish pop duo formed in Gothenburg in 1983. Earlier, Lasse Kronér (born 1962 in Gothenburg) was also a member until 1999, when he succeeded Leif Olsson for the leadership for the TV gameshow ''Bingolotto''. History 19 ...played this song live on tour withBjörn Afzelius Björn Svante Afzelius (27 January 1947 – 16 February 1999 ) was a Swedish singer-songwriter and guitar player. He was an outspoken socialist, known for his support for Olof Palme. His songs are about love, politics and joys and sadness in l ...1989 at Hovdala slott * 1997: Daúde * 1998: Coumba Gawlo * 1998:El General Edgardo Armando Franco (born 27 September 1969), better known as El General, is a Panamanian former reggae artist considered by some to be one of the fathers of "Reggae en Español". During the early 1990s, he was one of the artists who initiate ...(Spanglish version) * 1999: Manu Dibango * 2000:Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...(recorded it for her album '' Arrasando'') * 2001: The Skatalites * 2002:Jonathan Butler Jonathan Kenneth Butler (born 10 October 1961) is a South African singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music. Biography Born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa, during Apa ...(recorded a rendition of this song from his album ''Surrender'') * 2004:Helmut Lotti Helmut Lotti (born Helmut Barthold Johannes Alma Lotigiers; 22 October 1969), is a Belgian tenorGoldsmith B (2009)Belgian tenor Helmut Lotti wants to find his own style ''WDEZ''. Retrieved 23 April 2010. and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in ...* 2005: Bakithi Kumalo (instrumental version on his album ''This is me'') * 2006:Tony Esposito Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito (April 23, 1943 – August 10, 2021) was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 15 of those for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of ...* 2007: African Jazz Pioneers * 2010: DJ Happy Vibes,Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...* 2011:Arielle Dombasle Arielle Dombasle (born April 27, 1953)Dombasle's year of birth has been a subject of much debate, and various sources have given dates ranging from 1953 to 1958. is an American-born French singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough ro ...feat. Mokobé (released on her album ''Diva Latina'') * 2011: African Ladies (cover version for video game '' Just Dance 3'' onWii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...,Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ..., andPlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...) * 2011:Milk & Sugar Milk & Sugar are German house music producers and record label owners (based in Munich) Mike Milk (real name, Michael Kronenberger) and Steven Sugar (real name, Steven Harding). The two have collaborated since 1993 under a variety of names, incl ...feat.Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she w ...(made a remix with Makeba), * 2012:Lorraine Klaasen Lorraine Klaasen (born 1957) is a London, Ontario-based world music singer. Her mother was South African jazz singer Thandi Klaasen. She has performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and her international itinerary has included the ...(A Tribute to Miriam Makeba) * 2015:Playing for Change Playing For Change is a multimedia music project, featuring musicians and singers from across the globe, co-founded in 2002 by American Grammy award-winning music producer/engineer and award-winning film director Mark Johnson and film producer/ph ...* 2016: Pink Martini *The song has also been recorded byAngélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...andHoward Carpendale Howard Victor Carpendale (born 14 January 1946) is a South African-German singer living and working in Germany. Biography Carpendale is a pop singer who sings most of his songs in German. His 1979 song ''Nachts, wenn alles schläft'' had been .... * 2022:Sun-El Musician Sanele Tresure Sithole (born 28 March 1989), known professionally as Sun-El Musician, is a South African disc jockey, music producer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Mooi River. He attended University of KwaZulu-Natal but dropped out to purs ...andMsaki Asanda Lusaseni Mvana(born 31 December 1988) known professionally as Msaki, is a South African composer, singer, and songwriter. Born and grew up in East London, during her childhood she was involved in musical activities. Her career in music ...version
Popular culture
*In 2009, Honda used the song in a television commercial for their 2010 Accord Crosstour.The song was recently used in an episode of Season 2 of the television series “White Lotus” on HBO
References
{{Authority control 1967 singles Miriam Makeba songs Songs written by Jerry Ragovoy 1967 songs Reprise Records singles