Contents - Beth Lesser

Even back then, Junjo was introducing people to Cocoa tea as “the singer I’m
predicting”, the man who was “gonna make all the singer out a street a fret.”
Still, Junjo didn’t rush with Cocoa Tea.
Shy at first in the big city crowd, Cocoa Tea waited in the background,
never pushing himself upfront. At first, Cocoa Tea was still living in Rocky
Point and commuting the 40 or 50 miles into Kingston for sessions. A quiet
and polite young man, he seemed a bit out of place surrounded by the roughnecks
and hooligans who hung out at Volcano HQ.
By this time, Junjo’s first star, Barrington Levy, was well established and
independent. Junjo needed a new weapon. In the first session they did, Cocoa
Tea recorded ‘Champion’, ‘Jah Make Them That Way’, ‘Chalice No Fe Romp
With’ and ‘I Have Lost My Sonia’. Out of the four tracks, ‘I Have Lost My
Sonia’ was the hit. The song showcased the unique crooning style that made
him so popular. Although Tea, with his smooth voice, could have handled
lover’s rock or ballads easily, he stuck closer to reality and dancehall material
throughout the ‘80s, recording many hits as well as dubplates and specials for
sound clashes.
Junjo was convinced that he had found his new Barrington * . Just to make
sure everyone else knew it too, he recorded Cocoa Tea on the ‘Real Rock’
rhythm, with ‘Rockin’ Dolly’, a song about a new style of dance inspired
by a kind of motorcycle riding that didn’t sound very safe. The song was an
instant hit - just like Barrington’s ‘Looking My Love’ on the Radics’ ‘Real
Rock’ rhythm years before. Cocoa Tea’s song also borrowed from Barrington’s
melody making the link between the two even stronger. Junjo knew the psychology
of selling records, and once again his gamble paid off, making Cocoa
Tea one of the most popular singers on the island. ‘Rocking Dolly’ was a huge
success. The song was written between Cocoa Tea and Junjo. Junjo had the
idea to write a song about the new dance style. Cocoa Tea, fresh from the
country, wasn’t up on these things, so Junjo had to tell him all about it. Soon,
Junjo had enough dancehall killers to fill Cocoa Tea’s first album, Whe Them
A Go Do, released in 1984.
Cocoa Tea was Junjo’s last big success. After Junjo packed up Volcano
and left for New York, Cocoa Tea, still in Jamaica, worked with several other
producers including Jammys – singing over the new computerized rhythms,
Cornerstone, Witty and Blue Mountain. But he always remembered Junjo.
“There’s no producer I love like Junjo. He give me the best vibes.”
Whereas in the ‘70s, many artists migrated to the UK, in the ‘80s they
went to Brooklyn, settling around the aptly named Jamaica Ave. area. In
* He commented at the time, “It’s coming like Barrington a sing. I hear him [Cocoa Tea] ina the
studio and my mind just flash pon Barrington and me say, blood cleet!”
148 | RUB A DUB STYLE – The Roots of Modern Dancehall