Wonderful Women Interview with Singer & Actress Patti Boulaye OBE

Photo credit: Tessa Hallman

Patti Boulaye is a household name as a West End Actress, and Recording Star with an illustrious international career spanning starring roles in Theatre, Films and TV and the release of 8 albums.

Patti recently launched her autobiography “The Faith of a Child” on March 2017. As a singer, Patti continues to produce shows and perform in many countries and is planning the tour of her one woman show ‘Billie & Me’ early 2018, which draws humorous and thought provoking, entertaining parallels and similarities between Billie Holiday’s and Patti’s life through childhood, career, love life, influences, lifestyle choices etc.

The show features music of Billie Holiday, Etta James, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Bizet, Edith Piaf etc.

Patti’s many public speaking engagements take her from The Conference of World Scientists to the Royal Society of Art’s The Role of Women In The Big Society and the Women Federation For World Peace (WFWP) Conference at the House of Lords.

She is a governor of (BADA) the British American Drama Academy affiliated with Oxford and Yale Universities. Patti was on the Creative Committee of Her Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 2002. She is an Advisory Board Member of Iman Foundation World Wide, a peace forum for former Heads of State and Ministers. She was awarded an OBE at Buckingham Palace for Charitable Work in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Patti also received the British Community Honours Award and The Star Foundation Awards both for services to the community at the House of Lords. She is recognised for her forte in life’s etiquette and is Managing Director of BIPADA Academy www.bipada.com, which specialises in Parenting Advice, Confidence Boosting, Increasing Personal Resilience, Handling Difficult Clients etc.

Patti is the President and Founder of “Support for Africa” (SFA) Charity www.supportforafrica.org She organised “Reaching Out for Africa” fundraising concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, which featured football stars such as Didier Drogba, international stars Sir Cliff Richard, Gabrielle, Michael Jackson, Members of Houses of Parliament and a 3000 strong Gospel Choir. With the proceeds she built five healthcare clinics in West Africa and a school in Lesotho with HRH Prince Harry’s charity, Sentebale.

Patti will be competing in Celebrity Masterchef.

Describe a typical day for you?

My day begins differently each day, when I am touring it is totally different. But when I’m at home my day often starts around 9.00am with a 10-20 minutes exercise in the pool or on the power plates, getting dressed, followed by one or two meetings or a 1-2-1 face to face training sessions or phone sessions with a Bipada client.

Then I break for an hour to cook lunch, which is always late before collecting our grandson from nursery with my husband Stephen.

Nothing else gets done when our grandson is home late afternoon, until he goes to bed. Then the real work begins at 9pm, catching up with family and friends before researching useful weight loss ingredients and supplements as part of my well being products that I will be launching on Amazon.

Then I answer emails, social media etc. I spend a long time preparing paperwork for the session. I go to bed around 1.30am.

What do you feel are your biggest achievements?

I am blessed with many big achievements; including 40 years of a happy marriage, our two wonderful children that spread happiness where ever they are, building 5 basic healthcare clinics and a school in Africa via my charity Support For Africa.

Being on the Steering Committee for Her Majesty The Queens Golden Jubilee Celebrations at Buckingham Palace in 2002. Receiving an OBE for Charitable Work in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Over 35 years training clients in life skills, helping people change their lives by changing their attitude and how they see themselves. This lead me to create Bipada Academy www.bipada.com

What’s in your handbag/ satchel?

Everything, but the kitchen sink! My handbag weighs a ton! I keep putting things in the bag just in case I need them i.e. nail repair kit, make up bag, money purse, hair brush, business cards, hand cream, pens, tissues for husband and grandson.

What are your ambitions in life?

To be successful in everything I set my mind to, parenthood, career, mentoring etc. I am pleased when I affect people’s lives positively.

Young people are not good at taking advice, so when I succeed in changing a mindset it feels rewarding. I would also like my book to encourage people see life’s difficulties differently.

I have not had a hit song for years and would like that to change and hopefully it will be a song I have written. Most of all my ambition is to see my children happily married and in a job they enjoy.

What do you wish you’d known at the start of your career you now know?

That prayer is a very powerful tool in dealing with the entertainment business and people in general.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Hopefully alive and still changing lives through my Bipada Academy sessions, my singng and subsequent books on how to handle life’s ups and downs.

What advice would you give a budding author?

I am at a loss on advising others since this is my first book and I’m still learning. But if I were to give advice it would be to keep writing for the fun of it. My advice to singers is; be yourself, but know you are there to serve and touch others with the wonderful gift, that is your voice.

What do you wish you’d known about motherhood before having kids?

I was fortunate enough to have grown up in Africa at a time when children were allowed to be children and women took motherhood in their strides. My mother had nine children, so for me motherhood will always be love that is selfless, sacrificial and rewarding.

Motherhood is natural, straight-forward, beautiful and yet it is the most difficult thing on earth. At the age of twelve I had my first experience of helping with the delivery of a child, since then I have been involved with delivering nine other babies including my grandson. I have two wonderful children.

Finally, happiness is…

Happiness is many things depending on how young or old one is. Happiness is being around my family, siblings, my husband, our children and grandson. Happiness to me is loving and knowing you are loved in return. Happiness is believing and knowing God is in control. It is being comfortable with myself, knowing myself and making God a vital part of my life. Happiness is in knowing that God loves me and I have nothing to fear. That gives me peace. Happiness is looking into a newborn baby’s eyes. That is only place one can find the purity of spirit.

www.pattiboulaye.com

Autobiography  The Faith of a Child

Buy signed copies from www.bipada.com/publishing £12.99 buy it on Amazon and Lulu.com;  £12.99 or Read it on Kindle

Personal Links: Twitter; Facebook Like Page; Linkedin; Facebook;

Bipada: Bipada Academy;  Facebook;  Twitter;  Linkedin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1SDdKSdU94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxpyLA9uKlE

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