D’Angel thanks Cocoa Tea for her ‘breakthrough’

In a bittersweet reflection of the "most memorable moment" of her life, dancehall artiste D'Angel plans to pay tribute to late reggae veteran Cocoa Tea by performing their collaboration, Love Is, wherever she goes.

She told THE STAR how she scored the collaboration with the icon during the early part of her career.

"He called me and told me that he wanted to do the song with me and I'm like, 'Me?' He was like, 'Yes, you'. And mi seh Cocoa Tea is this for real? A di real Cocoa Tea dis?' When I went in the studio and the turnaround time that I took to send the song, he was like, 'Wow, you have talent.' But I was so excited at an opportunity like that so I would have to do it quick," she said. She shared that though her original single - Stronger -solidified her place in the industry, Love Is marked her 'breakthrough" in music, as she blurted out in the song's intro, 'Mi get mi ratings right now.'

"So I sent back the track and Cocoa Tea was like, 'Mi love it, enuh, mi love it, but yuh can't rush music, a three verse mi want.' Him seh 'A reggae music dis and me is a man mi nuh rush my music, suh a three verse mi want,'" D'Angel recalled with a smile. Love Is was featured on Cocoa Tea's 2012 Inna Di Red album.

Cocoa Tea, given name Colvin Scott, passed away yesterday at a hospital in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, following a cardiac arrest. The 65-year-old artiste was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2019, but also struggled with pneumonia for the past six months. D'Angel said she was saddened at his passing.

"I knew he was sick, but I thought he was getting better, but I had him in my prayers. I was hoping that he would have got better because I was still waiting to tour with Cocoa Tea with our song - Love Is - [which is] the cover version of [a] Dennis Brown [song]. So I was still hopeful that I could join him one day, another time on stage or maybe go on tour because that was the plan, and though he was sick, I'm always optimistic," said D'Angel.

"To celebrate the legendary Cocoa Tea and continue to give him his flowers, I'm going to start performing that song as a part of my catalogue everywhere I go. It's a very sad, sad moment," she added.

They last performed the single together at the annual GT Taylor Extravaganza show in St Elizabeth in 2016.

"Di place shell... that night was memorable. It shows me my purpose in music because to be standing on stage with Cocoa Tea, that's not a joke business. He wasn't even booked for the show, I was the one who was booked and Cocoa Tea came and said he's going to support me by performing our song. The support that he gave me was second to none," an excited D'Angel shared.

She expressed plans to feature Love Is on her upcoming reggae album titled, Stronger.

"I'm a reggae and dancehall artiste so I'm very passionate about music that heals, feel-good music that comforts people in times of sadness, hurt [and] grief," she said, while noting that Cocoa Tea "always encourage me to do more reggae music because he said I have a soulful voice".

She remembered the Holy Mount Zion artiste as a "humble, very encouraging and positive individual [who is big] on health and fitness". She said she was "proud and grateful" for the expert musical knowledge Cocoa Tea shared with her to help mould her into the artiste she is today.

"Condolences to his family and friends. We have to live on through his music and for who know him, just continue to give him his flowers and understand that this is an iconic man right here in the dancehall space and he will be missed. I'm sure his music will live on forever," shared D'Angel.