Album Review By Marlon—
Title: IN A DI RED
Artist: COCOA TEA
Label: ROARING LION RECORDS/VPAL
Cocoa Tea made his recording debut in 1974 at the age of 15, with a song called “Searching In The Hills” under the name Calvin Scott, which is a loose variation of his real name. He got his first big hit ten years later with “Lost My Sonia” for the late producer Henry “Junjo” Lawes, and has remained on the scene ever since. He is an artist that has managed to remain relevant and current for nearly thirty years which is an amazing feat in the ever changing music industry. His latest album “In A Di Red” is a clear demonstration as to why he never gets stale. It is packed with a great blend of lovers, social, and cultural material and more.
The album kicks off with the smooth lover’s rock groove “A Love Like Yours And Mine.” What a track! I had this one on repeat and it took me a while to get to the rest of the album. As I continued to listen I was not disappointed. The next track is the nyahbinghi flavored “Beat U Drums.” It has a throwback vibe with a fresh sound which works to great effect. A change of pace takes place once again with the ska piece “Crazy Crazy.” Again a fresh and modern sound holds my interest. The song “Press Freedom” should be the anthem for members of the media worldwide, as he talk talks about the freedom of expression through the press and addresses the payola situation that is prevalent in the music industry. One thing that has been a constant in Cocoa Tea’s career, is his uncanny ability to lyrically tackle contemporary issues with tremendous effect. “Weh De Reggae Deh” takes on the issue of the direction of contemporary reggae music. Again he hits the nail right on the head.
In A Di Red has other outstanding tracks include a couple of collaborations. The first is “Trickster” featuring the red hot Lady G on the “Talk About Love” riddim. The two artists feed off each other with perfect chemistry. This song can be a big hit. The other combination tune which also feature a female DJ is “Love Is” which features D’Angel. This is a hard hitting reworking of Dennis Brown’s 1985 hit “It’s Magic” and has already began to make waves on the radio as well as the charts.
This song can be a number one hit and I’m rooting for it! This album is first rate work with live instruments and a clean modern sound. And in addition, it also has all the elements of the good old reggae music that we know and love from times past. If you are a fan of authentic reggae music “In A De Red” is right up your alley and is worth a listen. It has plenty of great moments. Cocoa Tea has done it again. Show your support for good clean reggae music, purchase yours. It’s worth it.
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