The reggae legend Cocoa Tea, who helped shape modern dancehall music, passed away in South Florida on Tuesday at the age of 65. The experienced artist passed away after battling cancer for years.
Cocoa Tea, whose real name was Calvin Scott, was born in Clarendon’s Rocky Point fishing community. He originally trained to be a jockey, but in a 2012 interview with the Jamaica Observer, he remembered that at the age of 13, he recorded his first song.
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He had his debut in the early 1980s with the song “Rocking Dolly,” which was recorded for the successful Volcano label by Henry “Junjo” Lawes. Cocoa Tea, together with Barrington Levy and Yellowman, made that label famous with follow-up tracks like Kingston Hot and Lost My Sonia.
He formed successful collaborations with producers Lloyd “King Jammy” James and Bobby “Bobby Digital” Dixon during that decade. Young Lover, Tune In, Lonesome Side, and Who She Love—a joint effort with Home T and Shabba Ranks—are among his popular hits from that period.
Young Lover was sampled by British singer Joss Stone for her song Harry’s Symphony, which is taken from her 2015 album Water for Your Soul.
Richie Stephens, a fellow artist and personal friend, honored Cocoa Tea.
Stephens stated, “He was one of di artistes who came in di business an’ change things up. His style, his personality and charisma on stage was large…he wasn’t a simple man.”
He added, “He was very influential, people love him an’ he made a lot of hit songs, so yuh have to give him full credit. When music come up, yuh have to mention Cocoa Tea.”
Cocoa Tea released Wey Di Reggae Dey, a self-produced CD, thirteen years ago. He claimed that a question he was asked a lot while on tour served as inspiration.
In his “Wi want to address dat,” Cocoa Tea wrote, “Dem sey, ‘how nuh reggae coming outa Jamaica?’, a jus’ pure dancehall.” Despite being best known as a lovers rock singer, he released Barack Obama in 2008, a tribute to the well-liked US senator who became that nation’s first black president.
