As she charted her solo comeback, Cen’C Love was determined to make songs that reflected her cosmopolitan outlook. Before the release of ‘Habibi’ on August 14, it had been some time since anything was heard from the singer.

“‘Habibi’,” she explained, “is about fantasy lovers, a longing for physical connection.” She produced the song as well as played keyboards, guitar and percussion.

It is the lead single from ‘Elephant’, Cen’C Love’s three-song EP which is scheduled for release in early October. The other songs are similar in sound to ‘Habibi’.

“It’s like a reintroduction. A lot of drum and bass, same classic, crossover vibe,” she said.

The sound is also different from ‘Is It Love’, a reggae cover of rock band Whitesnake’s 1987 power ballad. Cen’C Love shared the mic with drummer/singer Paul Kastick on that single which was also recently released.

The daughter of reggae legend Bunny Wailer, the Miami-based Cen’C Love, has worked as a producer in the past two years with big names such as Capleton, Sizzla, Richie Spice and Warrior King. Not many people know that side of her.

“I’ve been a producer-musician since high school. I have a Fine Arts seal in Music Technology and Voice. I found that me as a producer often got lost under me being a recording artiste, so I want to reestablish myself, but not just as a singer,” she said.

‘Elephant’ will hit the market 17 years after ‘A Little More Time’, Cec’C Love’s first EP. ‘Love Letter’, released three years later, is her sole album.

Bunny Wailer, a three-time Grammy winner known for seminal albums like ‘Blackheart Man’ and ‘Rock ‘n’ Groove’, died in 2021 at age 73. Once she decided to become a professional artiste, Cen’C Love knew there would be suspicious reactions.

“I have definitely benefited (from being his daughter) in some ways, but I’ve still had to go through the rounds. I think it hurts me in some ways too, because people assume I have all these connections and resources, but I really have to put in the work,” she said.

Despite his reputation for being a no-nonsense taskmaster, Cen’C Love stated that Bunny Wailer was also a sound businessman who was always willing to give advice.

“The best advice my father gave to me was to be independent; self-sufficient. He always taught me the importance of owning as much as I can,” she said.

(Photo contributed)