While riding his bike in 1999, world music artist Frank Patrick was struck by a car. The impact threw him 60 feet and resulted in a head injury that left him with major short term memory loss.
The severity of the injury, which he attributes to not wearing a helmet, made it difficult for Patrick to play his music, so he took seven years off to recover before writing an album and again touring with his songs.
“In the beginning, I couldn’t really play for very long and then I’d forget I was playing. Later I was able to recall the lyrics, slowly. They told me it would either come back part way, all the way or not at all. I was very fortunate.
“I don’t know how I’m alive. It wasn’t my time, obviously,” said the Toronto-based musician.
The result of his six year musical absence was “Worlds in Transition,” a 14-track album that fuses world, rock, folk and blues sounds.
Following its release in 2007, Patrick was awarded the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals’ Songs From the Heart Award in the world music category. The winning song was “Believe.”
According to Patrick, the songs on “Worlds in Transition” were born out of the pain and struggle of his recovery. To create the album, he partnered with friend and drummer Rob Greenway.
Patrick describes the journey of creating the album as “a labour of love.”
Since “Worlds in Transition,” Patrick hasn’t released any new music, but he is currently recording a 10-track album with “songs that are better than the last bunch.
“I write a lot of songs and to me it’s my therapy. It goes beyond a choice. I need to do it to keep my joie de vivre, my love of life. The songs do wonders for me and then hopefully they reach others too, which they have.”
Patrick, who was formerly the lead vocalist for Zombo Zombo and has in the past played world music for a travelling modern dance group, is now on tour with some of his new songs, as well as some of his older tunes.
Most of the cross-Canada tour will be solo, but along the way he will also be meeting up with old friends who will accompany him on different instruments.
During his solo shows, including one at the Jasper Legion, he’ll be playing guitar, a porchboard bass drum, harmonica, ukelele and kalimba—an African thumb piano.
“The songs still really come through when I play solo,” he said. “I mean, if the songs can’t stand on their own as good songs, then what’s the point?
“To me it’s all about the soul.”
