QUEENS, NY:

Award winning reggae singer Half Pint who exploded on the international scene with reggae hits like ‘Winsome,’ ‘Mr. Landlord,’ ‘Level the Vibes,’ ‘Substitute Lover’ and ‘Victory,’ has been added as a last minute replacement for singer Cocoa Tea on the third annual Groovin In The Park concert, which unfolds at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York on Sunday, June 30, 2013.

Groovin Inc. CEO Chris Roberts said Cocoa Tea was replaced because of an issue with his work permit which may or may not be resolved before the concert takes place on Sunday.

“My understanding is that Cocoa Tea has a valid US visa. We were however informed around the end of May that he needs a waiver on his work permit because of an incident that occurred in the Caribbean in 1998. We were very optimistic that the situation would have been resolved in time for Cocoa Tea to perform for his many fans in the USA at Groovin In The Park on Sunday, June 30. We hired the services of a top notch law firm to expedited the process. However with just a few days before the concert, despite the best efforts of the immigration lawyer, the required waiver has not yet been granted. Because of this unfortunate situation, the Groovin executive team decided that the wise an prudent thing to do was to inform patrons early and to seek a credible replacement for Cocoa Tea. It is against this background that Half Pint has been added to the lineup. He is an excellent performer and is an the artist that fans will truly enjoy” Roberts noted.

Since he busted on the scene, Half Pint has delivered an impressive cache of albums including ‘No Stress Express,’ ‘Greetings,’ ‘Victory,’ ‘Legal We Legal’ and ‘One Big Family.’ His 1983 hit song ‘Winsome’ was covered by the Rolling Stone while ‘Giving/Sharing’ was featured on the soundtrack for the movie, The Mighty Quinn (1989).

His colossal fan base is universal and they remain consistently loyal, especially here in the USA as well as in Europe, Japan, Brazil, and the Caribbean. He has recently toured with San Diego based rock/reggae band, Slightly Stoopid, as well as Pepper and Sly and Robbie on the sold-out Tailgate 2008 tour throughout the US and Canada. In 2009 he toured with rapper Snoop Dogg and Stephen Marley. He is recognized globally for his positive contribution to the upliftment of mankind through reggae music. In 2000, he was presented with “The Key to The City of Lauderdale Lakes” by the Mayor of the Florida suburb.

Half Pint will join a world-class lineup of hit machines including R&B icon Patti LaBelle, Tank, Ginuwine, Tyrese, Sanchez, Barrington Levy, Steel Pulse and Queen Ifrica on Groovin In The Park

This summer event is more than a concert and has become a synergistic celebration of Caribbean and African American cultures in New York City.