The dancer crouched before his partner and patted her body to the rhythm of the music as he rose up and she spun around, making hip circles.

[4][5] In another version of the dance,The 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.

[7] 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.

[7] The popular 1956 "Ei Yow Phata Phata"[8] by Dorothy Masuka was distinctly different from Makeba's,[7] but in later years, Masuka made her own recording of the version made popular by Makeba.

[7] In 1967, after establishing a successful singing career in the US, Makeba re-recorded the song with Jerry Ragovoy producing, and with an added spoken part in English.

The dance keeps going all night long, til' the morning sun begins to shine."