The world is a tough classroom sometimes. Just ask reggae artiste Zella Dino, who admits that he has made his fair share of mistakes. On “Choices”, he wants his son to hear the lessons before life delivers the bruises.
The veteran Jamaican reggae artiste’s latest single takes the form of a musical letter from father to child, drawing on personal setbacks to offer guidance to a generation finding its way.
“My love for my children and for all the younger generation on a whole,” he said of the inspiration. “If I knew then what I know now, I could have avoided so much personal mishaps. Knowledge is power.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxd2L3S760w&list=RDoxd2L3S760w&start_radio=1
That hindsight gives “Choices” its purpose. Zella Dino speaks as a father who knows how costly a wrong turn can become—and hopes that sharing his experiences might spare someone else the consequences.
“This song is a reminder that experience may be a brutal teacher, but its lessons don’t have to be wasted,” he said.
The message continues a conscious-reggae approach heard on songs such as “Wake Up Call”, “Squeaky Cleany”, “Skip Dem Out” and “Good Dayz”. This time, fatherhood brings the broader social concerns into sharper, more intimate focus.
His own journey has taken several turns.
Born in Jamaica, Zella Dino spent his early years in Kingston before moving to Waterford, Portmore, at five. He later lived in Manchester, attending Ferguson All Age School and DeCarteret College, where he represented the school in the daCosta Cup.
Before the microphone became his calling, football offered another possibility. After relocating to the United States, he continued playing in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area.
Music, however, remained part of his life. During the late 1980s, he moved in Jamaican entertainment circles that included emerging talents Tony Rebel and Garnet Silk. Following what he describes as a spiritual calling, he returned to recording with a renewed commitment to uplifting, socially conscious songs. His career has since included performances in England and appearances alongside Sizzla, Capleton and Morgan Heritage.
Now, “Choices” brings that experience home: a father putting hard-earned wisdom into a song his son—and other young listeners—can carry with them.
A video is being planned for the single, while a new EP is in production and could arrive by Christmas.
“I have a lot of things to say, and I know the world is anxious to hear these songs,” he said.
