When Kees Dieffenthaller first graced the soca stage in the late 90’s as lead vocalist of then cover band Imij and Company, he was an instant hit with the women. But Kees soon proved that he had much more than looks to give to the industry. A little guy with a huge voice, he was able to place the sweetness back into soca. Initially delivering renditions of songs sung by existing popular artistes, the San Fernando native eventually decided to exit the cover band in 2005 to venture into the formation of his own, known today as Kes The Band.
Since then he has been making his mark in the industry. Taking all genres and fusing them to make a “Kees Sound,” Dieffenthaller has given us pop, rock, R&B, reggae and techno versions of soca—all much to the delight of his growing fan base. Today Kees has been able to reach stardom in little time. The reigning Groovy Soca Monarch King also has to add to his list of achievements, a nomination this year for a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Soul Train Award.
History
Born and raised in the southland Kees, a former resident of Palmiste San Fernando, attended the Cedar Grove Government Primary School and then Presentation College, where he obtained seven Ones in CXC, two As and two Bs at A’Levels in Sciences. With those accomplishments, Kees’s parents wanted him to become a doctor, but he had another profession in mind—one he dreamt of as a child—to become a singer. This dream came true when he became the front-line singer of cover band Imij and Company. However, in 2005, he exited the band to form his own—Kes The Band which includes two of his brothers.
Since branching out, Kees has managed to achieve significant success on a worldwide scale! Along with his band he has released several albums, with more than a dozen tracks making it into the top ten of major Caribbean charts. Additionally the band has won numerous awards for songwriting; toured globally, performed at major festivals and events in the United States, Canada and Germany; opened for acts such as Sean Paul, Musiq Soul Child, Usher, John Legend, and Rihanna; and had their music featured on television shows broadcast on MTV and BET, as well as licensed tracks to popular games on major video game platforms.
In November 2007 Kees was flown to Nashville Tennessee to work with multiple Grammy Award Winner Desmond Child. The song he co-wrote with Child was recorded by American Idol Ace Young and is featured on his self title album. At the 2009 LA ASCAP Conference Kees was selected out of hundreds to perform at the showcase and left everyone clamouring to meet them. Kees is certainly creating an empire for himself. With a household name, good looks and unbeatable talent, he is definitely here to stay and here to take the music of T&T to the international world.