With her latest album, Love Someone Like Me, Patty Cabrera combines soaring lyricism with a lush and exciting
sound. Patty’s latest album is a pop record with a Latin flair with a hint of R&B and poetic folk sensibility, the touch of crunchy metal guitar, and the dash of jazz. A recurring lyrical
motif is the celebration of God’s love through our relationships with each other.
“We need to realize that God is
interested in our happiness,” Patty explains. “We should spend more time breathing in the joy around us, not just
shouldering the pain.”
For all its diverse influences and style, the music demonstrates the rich vocal versatility that allows
Patty to ease from R&B to pop in the blink of an eye. Her compositions combine an exciting Latin
sound with the soulful intelligence of folk. As a bilingual artist of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent, Patty’s earliest
memories are inextricably tied to the music that filled her home. Whether it was dancing to the irresistible strains of
Salsa and Cumbia, or listening to early Motown and James Taylor, Patty’s musical influences have been varied and
unexpected.
Throughout the up-tempo songs, there is an underlying playfulness that tugs at the listener. The Latin piano hits
rhythmic cues out of thin air, the conga retorts back, and the music is permeated with an irresistible sense of humor
and delight at the abundant generosity of God. “We’re fortunate,” Patty says, “that God’s creativity doesn’t stop
where our appreciation does. I try not to forget that life is a gift. I don’t want to miss any of it.” This excitement is
evident in “The Cure,” a tantalizing concoction that captures the explosive change that takes place when we realize
the unconditional love of God.
Completing the musical array are the ballads, stories of love that possess a touching poignancy. Whether captured in the sweet innocence of first love in “Love is Just for Two,” or the longing for God in “Love Someone Like Me,” Patty takes the listener on a journey of incredible height and moving depth. As the title track illustrates, the heart of the album is centered on the unfailing, unfathomable love of God. “You can’t do anything to make God love you more,” Patty explains. “And you can’t do anything to make God love you less.
Although Patty has two previous albums to her credit, this current release is truly her own creation. Co-produced
by Patty and Paul Dexter, who also engineered the album, Love Someone Like Me is the first release from Patty’s
company, Patrona Productions. “I wanted to create an album piece by piece from the ground up, by handpicking
the musicians for the project and bringing in some old friends as well as meeting some new ones.” Just a glance at
the musical lineup reveals Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Michael Landau on electric guitar, Rafael Padilla on
percussion, and Jerry Hey leading the horns, with numerous stellar musicians rounding out the album. Taking a
hands off approach to the musicians, Patty allowed their creativity to flourish. “I wanted a free and open
environment,” she explains. “Instead of outlining exactly what I wanted, I would write a song, map it out with some
initial programming and then ask each musician to play what they felt. I think that’s what made this album
blossom.”
Featured by People magazine as one of their “50 Most Beautiful People in the World,” Patty feels most at home when she is performing her music as she brings a sizzling energy to her live concerts that leave audiences breathless. Included in her list of favorite concerts is the Billy Graham Latin International Crusade, where a song she had authored was chosen as the crusade’s theme song. Also a part of that list is an impromptu concert for three down-and-outers in the back of a Greyhound bus during a cross-country college trip. “Please don’t make me pick my favorite,” Patty says with a smile.
In addition to her musical achievements, Cabrera also serves as the spokesperson for Metro Ministries in New York
City, a progressive mission reaching each week more than 20,000 urban youth ensnared in a battleground of drugs,
violence and abuse. Cabrera’s work with Metro Ministries is based around annual music camps and seminars which
she has created for the inner city kids in Brooklyn and other world-wide cities that follow the model of Metro
Ministries International.
“I love being a part of Metro Ministries because they touch lives on a street level,” Patty explains. “Metro gives
people hope by showing them God’s love through the acts of one person to another. It’s clear that God gave us
arms to hug and to shoot hoop with,” she says with a laugh.
None of this overwhelming activity should come as a surprise to those who know Patty’s life philosophy. With a
serene sigh she says, “Enjoying our humanity is a gift back to God.”
More Patty at: 2002 Spotlight on Patty Cabrera
