Singer Jimi D, who contracted the novel coronavirus three times last year, shares the experience on his latest single Defiant.

Defiant was released by C&E label in November.

“I caught mild cases of COVID-19 in January and June last year. Both times I recovered very quickly but when I caught it again in October, I spent several weeks in the hospital. This was a very scary experience; I could hardly breathe and I was in a lot of pain. I couldn’t even eat or drink anything, trying to drink water was like trying to drink nails. There were times when I wondered if I would survive this ordeal, but I never gave up hope,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He continued, “I wrote this song to let people know that no matter how tough life gets, we cannot give up. I’ve been through a lot personally but as long as I have life I will never give up.”

Jimi D was working on an album and preparing for a tour of the west coast with his uncle and popular American ska/reggae band Slightly Stoopid, when COVID-19 derailed those plans.

His uncle is roots singer Don Carlos, a journeyman artiste and former member of the Grammy award-winning Black Uhuru.

“Things were looking very bright early last year until the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US. This was a big setback for me in so many ways. I was working on an album with my uncle, and we were also set to go on your in the US to promote the album, but everything had to be placed on hold because of the pandemic,” he shared.

Born in Kingston, Jimi D (real name Christopher Chambers) resided in Portmore before relocating to the United States. He presently resides in Texas where he also works as a paramedic.

Call on Me, Sunshine, Joy and a cover of Junior’s Mama Used to Say, are among his previous releases.