Cocoa Tea, the diminutive singer who helped outline modern dancehall music, died in South Florida on Tuesday at age 65. The veteran artiste succumbed to a years-long struggle with most cancers.
Born Calvin Scott, Cocoa Tea was from the fishing village of Rocky Level in Clarendon. Initially, he skilled to be a jockey, however in a 2012 interview with the Jamaica Observer, recalled recording his first track at age 13.
His breakthrough got here within the early Eighties with Rocking Dolly, a track produced by Henry “Junjo” Lawes for the prolific Volcano label. Together with Yellowman and Barrington Levy, Cocoa Tea put that label on the map, releasing follow-up singles resembling Misplaced My Sonia and Kingston Scorching.
Later that decade, he established fruitful partnerships with producers Lloyd “King Jammy” James and Bobby “Bobby Digital” Dixon. His hit singles from that period embrace Younger Lover, Tune In, Lonesome Aspect and Who She Love, a collaboration with Residence T and Shabba Ranks.
British singer Joss Stone sampled Younger Lover for her Harry’s Symphony, a track from her 2015 album, Water For Your Soul.
Fellow singer and shut pal, Richie Stephens, paid tribute to Cocoa Tea.
“He was one in every of di artistes who got here in di enterprise an’ change issues up. His fashion, his persona and charisma on stage was giant…he wasn’t a easy man,” mentioned Stephens. “He was very influential, folks love him an’ he made loads of hit songs, so yuh have to present him full credit score. When music come up, yuh have to say Cocoa Tea.”
13 years in the past, Cocoa Tea launched the self-produced album, Wey Di Reggae Dey. He mentioned it was impressed by a query he was requested regularly whereas touring.
“Dem sey, ‘how nuh reggae coming outa Jamaica?’, a jus’ pure dancehall,” Cocoa Tea advised the Jamaica Observer. “Wi wish to deal with dat.”
Though he was greatest often called a lovers rock singer, in 2008 he launched Barack Obama, a salute to the favored United States senator who turned that nation’s first black president.
