Singing in Trinity name
At the start of 2020, everything was coming up roses for Trinity Kenya Rolle. The Bahamian student was months away from earning a degree at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida and was a member of that school’s choir.
But eight months after being diagnosed with a rare form of leg cancer, she died in February 2021 at age 20. Weeks later, her mother discovered a vocal recording on her iPhone which she passed on to Trinity’s father, Bahamian reggae singer Jah Nyne.
Adding music and his vocals to Trinity’s voice, he produced His Name is Jesus, which was released on August 9, which would have been his daughter’s 22nd birthday.
“There was no track in the beginning, it was just Trinity’s vocal without music and it was very emotional as tears flowed and my reaction was to create a song with both of us,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
His Name is Jesus hears Trinity singing traditional gospel, complemented by Jah Nyne’s reggae deejay interludes. A recording artiste for over 25 years, he long envisioned recording a song with Trinity who was musicallyinclined since childhood.
“She learned to play piano from a tender age, she did singing lessons, she learned to play steel pan, she started to teach herself the bass guitar and finally she got a college degree in music recording technology. My wife and I encouraged and supported her in all of her musical endeavours,” said Jah Nyne.
Trinity entered historically black Bethune-Cookman University after attending the University of Bahamas for one semester. She read for a degree in music recording technology while touring the United States with the choir which performs a traditional gospel set.
In the summer of 2020 she sought medical treatment for a severe leg pain. The diagnosis was cancer and within eight months, the promising singer/musician was dead.
Last year, Trinity’s parents were presented with the degree she worked diligently for. Jah Nyne’s dream to record a song with her also came true.
“Her and I were very close, as she was daddy’s princess,” he said.