Shaggy and Wayne Marshall talk about their lady loves

It isn’t always easy for couples to stay together amidst the many challenges that present themselves when two different personalities come together.

But while break-ups may seem the easier way out, a number of persons have decided to stick it out.

This week All Woman caught up with deejays Orville “Shaggy” Burrell and Wayne “Wayne Marshall” Mitchell, who both have had long-term relationships with their respective spouses.

Burrell has maintained 16-year relationship with his girlfriend Rebecca Packer, while Mitchell has been married to singer and long-time friend Tami Chynn for four years. Both deejays are among the elite few who have decided to see their relationships through and share their views on why their relationships work:

Orville “Shaggy” Burrell & Rebecca Packer

Burrell, who was last week voted by the Observer’s women as the sexiest Jamaican man alive, is known for his suave yet rugged look, his philanthropic aid to the Bustamante Hospital for Children, the highlight of which is last weekend Shaggy and Friends concert, said falling in love with Rebecca over and over and the excitement she brings to the union are some of the things that does it for him.

“At some point, as a boy, I had sowed my royal oats, so to speak, for years upon years. I have been in that spot for years, and at some point it kind of narrowed down to one person that keeps your interest going,” Shaggy admits to All Woman last week. “I’m a Libra. I get bored easily. And that is why my music keeps changing ’cause I get bored. You’ll never get bored of me because I’ll get bored of myself first,” he said.

However, he said, Rebecca keeps him excited specially with her very opinionated personality.

“She challenges me in many ways,” Shaggy said. “She is very opinionated. Very opinionated. We have had our fair share of arguments, but I think the best way to put it is that we are two stones and the edges are rough and they beat on each other until eventually they are smooth. That’s the best way I can say it. She constantly impresses me as we go along and that keeps my interest there. And our love is the basic thing that keeps us together; and I don’t think I have ever fallen out of love with her.”

He explained that being away from her so often also helps, as when he finally gets back to her it’s like falling in love all over again.

“We just have certain values that click,” he added.

Wayne “Wayne Marshall” Mitchell & Tami Chynn

Mitchell offers that friendship, respect and trust are some of the qualities that have kept himself and Chynn together — though they both have admirers.

“We have being friends since 2001, and we have been married four years now, so it has been a couple years well of friendship before we got to any serious relationship. And I think that is what keeps us close: the fact that we are not just lovers, we are friends,” said Marshall.

“We are still best friends and still find the same things interesting. [It’s] like her humour guage synchronise with mine. So we find the same things funny most of the time, and it’s like I’m her biggest comedian and she’s my biggest comedian; and it’s just fun. It’s fun being around each other and we don’t take things too seriously.”

The two are conscious that each will get attention in the line of his work and this is not a problem at the end of the day. Mitchell attributes this to the level of respect they both have for each other and their relationship.

“At the end of the day we are confident in the respect we both have for our relationship. So even if one decides to do something that probably the public might think is flirtatious, to us it’s going to be like nothing. She knows that that is cool with me. But probably somebody looking on may have something to say about it, but it’s not like that. We have a full understanding of what is permissible and what is not.”

As a result, Marshall said trust plays a big part in their relationship.

“In every relationship trust should be important. And we definitely trust each other,’ he said. “That’s the big word for us.”

He adds that an another important factor that keeps them together is communication.

“The lines of communication are always open between us,” he said.