Renowned reggae global icon Cocoa Tea is confirmed to have breathed his last at the age of 65.
The news was announced by his wife Malvia Scott, who said that the veteran singer passed away at 4:46 Tuesday, March 11, at a hospital in Broward, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following a cardiac arrest.
She spoke of his last moments. “I got a call early this morning to say that he had been transferred from the facility to the hospital … which is like five minutes away … because he was vomiting. He was initially diagnosed with lymphoma in 2019, but for the last six months he was also struggling with pneumonia,” Malvia told The Gleaner.
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“He was very brave, he was positive throughout it all. About three weeks ago when he was admitted to the hospital he asked if I was worried and I said ‘I am always worried’. He told me not to worry because everything would be all right. He was always very hopeful.”
In 2019, the I Am The Toughest singer performed at Buju Banton’s historic Long Walk to Freedom concert at the National Stadium in Kingston. Born in Rocky Point, in Clarendon on September 3, 1959, Cocoa Tea started making his name in Jamaica in 1985 with hits such as I Lost My Sonia and Sweet Sweet Cocoa Tea.
He became successful worldwide in the 1990s and expanded his fan base, thrilling with songs such as Israel’s King, Weh Dem A Go Do…Can’t Stop Cocoa Tea, Holy Mount Zion, Rocking Dolly.
His Wikipedia bio states that one of his most famous songs, Rikers Island, was later turned into a dancehall version by Nardo Ranks titled Me No Like Rikers Island (featured on the 1991 Columbia/SME Records compilation Dancehall Reggaespañol)
. In 2003, Cocoa Tea started the annual New Year’s Eve event Dancehall Jam Jam. It ran until 2009, with plans to resurrect it in 2015.
In March 2008, the name Cocoa Tea was on the lips of many people after he released a song titled Barack Obama, in support of the then-US presidential candidate, who subsequently won the elections.
Cocoa Tea is survived by his wife, Malvia, and eight children.
