Misha x cocabona x Joya Mooi x Derrick McKenzie Deliver “The Present”

By FusioNostalgia

When four artists with distinct creative voices collide, something rare happens, and “The Present” is proof of that. Finnish producers Misha and cocabona, Dutch-South African vocalist Joya Mooi, and Jamiroquai drummer Derrick McKenzie have crafted a song that feels like a warm exhale—both rooted in groove and lifted by lyrical reflection. The single, released ahead of Misha and cocabona’s forthcoming EP JOMO (“Joy Of Missing Out”), invites listeners into a state of calm clarity, a reminder that fulfillment often lives in the here and now.

The story of “The Present” began during a summer 2024 session in London. Misha and cocabona, long-time collaborators with over a decade of shared history, linked up with McKenzie, whose rhythmic touch has long inspired their own work. What started as a spontaneous jam unfolded into the heartbeat of the track, a pulsing groove that would soon hold space for Mooi’s intimate vocals. Back in the Netherlands, she layered in her interpretation, giving the track its emotional center with a message about slowing down, listening inward, and finding joy without chasing what’s beyond reach.

Her words are as striking as the production itself. Joya Mooi describes the song as a meditation on presence: not seeking “more” in distant horizons but instead embracing the fullness of the current moment. There’s a quiet courage in her delivery, one that pairs beautifully with the lush instrumentation beneath her. McKenzie’s percussion pushes the track forward with subtle confidence, while Misha and cocabona weave in soul-drenched textures, R&B melodies, and that unmistakable finesse they’ve each honed through years of shaping boundary-blurring sounds.

Though both producers have thriving individual careers—with credits that include collaborations alongside Talib Kweli, Amber Navran, and Lalah Hathaway, and collective streams reaching well over 200 million—it’s in projects like this that their chemistry becomes undeniable. Their history is marked by trust and experimentation, whether in the studio or on stage, where cocabona often joins Misha’s live band on bass. From Berlin to Los Angeles to their recent performance at London’s Jazz Café, the duo has consistently proven that their partnership thrives across borders and genres.

“The Present” doesn’t simply capture a moment of artistic collaboration—it embodies the very theme it explores. Each artist brings a different layer to the track: Misha’s dreamy arrangements, cocabona’s multi-instrumental warmth, McKenzie’s groove-driven backbone, and Mooi’s lyrical honesty. Together, they’ve built a song that doesn’t shout but lingers, offering the listener a chance to pause and feel anchored. With JOMO on the horizon, “The Present” feels like both an arrival and a beginning, a reminder that some of the most meaningful music is born when great artists let themselves simply be.