PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Two of the most soulful voices from the Caribbean have teamed up together for the first time. Kees Dieffenthaller, lead singer from Kes The Band, and the songstress from Jamaica, Tessanne Chin have collaborated on a track they both wrote together, along with KC Phillips, titled Loving You.

The idea for the collaboration came after hearing Tessanne’s mega hit Hideaway which took the airwaves by storm roughly two years ago. The song, a fusion of reggae with rock riffs, was a style that Kes The Band has also been exploring (songs like Stalker, Runaway, and Till The Morning) and felt that working with Tessanne would be a perfect union.

“It took us a little while to actually reach out to her,” says Kees, “and through management and a friend of hers, we finally were in touch with her camp. After some discussions on both sides we decided the best thing would be for myself and KC Phillips to fly out to Jamaica and spend some time there.”

Once in Jamaica, Kees, KC and Tessanne hit it off and spent a week writing the track, and also recording it. “The musicians were called in, we had the studio, it all seemed to flow,” says KC.

“I first heard about Kes through Alicia Powell when we did the Basia shoot,” says Tessanne “She mentioned that she thought we would make a great partnership.

Since then, it had been in my thoughts, about a year before the Kes management team reached out to us. Once that happened, I started to do some research on the band. I checked out Youtube where I saw performance clips, and also heard his songs. Very quickly I realised that I would be part of something wonderful if we were to work together.

“Kes the Band represents everything I love about music and its ability to break down barriers, transcend, change and evolve. I feel very strongly that we are helping it progress in our own way. We dare to be different and refuse to be limited or be put in a box of any kind! I am so happy I had the chance to work with them and look forward to a great musical future,” Tessanne stated.

After hearing the final version of the song, the duo decided that a music video would be the icing on the cake. Life Garland, a well-established music video director out of LA, (who has worked with Nelly, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, Pretty Ricky and Juvenile to name a few), was asked to direct. In 2004 he was nominated for the VMA’s best Rap Video for Lil Jon’s Get Low and in 2006 he won the award for Chamillionaire’s Ridin Dirty. Garland, along with a local team that included Sheldon Felix (Militainment), shot the music video over a two- day period.

“The experience was phenomenal,” says Tessanne. “The production was smooth, professional and the video has a story line that we are excited to show to the world.”

“The whole way it happened, the song, the video, working with Tess has been a really positive one for me, and the band,” says Kees. “She is a incredibly talented woman, her voice is amazing! And she is just gorgeous!” he smiles.

There are more things to come from both Kes the Band and Tessanne Chin. Kes has another video that will be released in the summer along with some touring, and Tessanne is currently working on her debut album.

The song will be released tomorrow in Trinidad and Jamaica and then internationally. The video release will also happen worldwide on Thursday.