KINGSTON, Jamaica — Singer, songwriter and producer Chris Marshall, who wrote Sean Paul’s mega hit Temperature, has tapped into the African market by collaborating with multi-award-winning Angolan singer Anselmo Ralph.

Their collaborative effort Reina del Flow, which was released earlier this year, is a danceable afrobeat tune that shimmers with its instantly insinuating groove.

Marshall explained how the collaboration with Anselmo Ralph came about.

“I was making a song for the fun of it and my partner said that it had some potential. However, I decided to delete it. Shortly after, Anselmo Ralph called me to come by where he was staying in Miami, and I showed him the idea for the song. He too felt that it had potential and he decided to hop on the track and then it became one of the singles that he released,” Marshall shared in an interview with Observer Online.

Anselmo Ralph told Observer Online that working with Marshall was quite easy.

“Before we started working, we got to talk a lot about other things, so there was a connection. There was a vibe between me and him and we got to laugh and talk. It was awesome working with Chris,” said Anselmo Ralph who has already worked with two Jamaican producers.

Anselmo Ralph (Photo contributed)

Although he has never visited Jamaica, Anselmo Ralph says it is on his bucket list of accomplishments.

“I’ve never been to Jamaica before, but it’s on my agenda,” he said.

Anselmo Ralph was once part of a Latin rock band which targeted the American Latin market. He won the MTV European Music Awards in 2006 for Best African Artiste and later signed with Sony Music.

Between 2014 and 2018, he was a coach on the televised reality talent series The Voice Portugal.

At the 2014 Angola Music Awards, he won Album of the Year for A Dor Do Cupido, Best Male Artiste and Best R&B Song for Unica Mulher.

Marshall (real name Adrian Marshall) is originally from the community of Linstead in St Catherine. He said that several opportunities came his way, in the wake of the success of Temperature.

“When you do something great in the music industry, it’s a show of credibility.  That credibility created more opportunities to work on more records,” said Marshall who continues to earn songwriting royalties from the hit single.

Marshall has written songs for Beenie Man (Heart Attack), J Quiles, Dalex, American R&B singer Trey Songz, Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and Farina, just to name a few.

He has recorded collaborations with Dalex (Prendia) and Latin singer Anitta (Tu Y Yo), Kizz Daniel, Stonebwoy, Alex Rose and Dalcyon.

— Kevin Jackson