Features
Up Close and personal with Kees Diefenthaller
By
Jun 27, 2003, 7:32

One of the most prominent faces in the seven (7) member band, Imij and Co. Kees Dieffenthaller had a heart to heart with IslandEvents.com's Sarita Singh to find out a bit more of what makes him tick and what keeps his fans wanting more.

At what age did you realize you wanted to sing professionally? Were you one of those young ones who stood in front the mirror with a hair brush pretending it was your microphone?
(Laughs) Hm, as far as I could remember I’ve always been singing since I was about 3 I would say. The time I realized I really wanted to pursue singing professionally though was when I was 13. Oh, my brothers and I had a band, a backyard band actually, sometimes we used to make our own drums and stuff, and we had concerts and I was the lead singer. Growing up looking and listening to bands like Van Halen, with brothers in it ‘kinda’ inspired us. We used to perform for friends and people in the neighbourhood mostly at that time.


What were you like as a kid?
Very….am, I would say, hm, I know I love nature, animals, I was artistic and creative. I was not the wild type, very reserved, I used to play by myself sometimes because I am the youngest so ‘yuh’ know, I used to either be building stuff or checking out animals, I love animals very much.


We all know that you’re a “bright boy” hailing from Presentation College (San Fernando), apart from singing, what do you have in mind as another career for yourself? Do you plan on pursuing this soon?
Well, I went CIC to (laughs) for A levels. I wanted to be a vet, but I wanted to do that to please everybody else. Now, I don’t mind getting into business, anything I could really put my hand on at this time, different types of businesses and investments to go alongside with my music career, I plan to use my music as a vehicle for this. If it is I go back into sciences, I would like to do chemical engineering but for now I am planning on opening some businesses at this time.


As a musician, who inspired/inspires you? Why?
Hm, hm, hm, a few people actually, the most prominent one I would have to say, wow, who for me boy, um, I would really have to say Bob Marley, he came from an island just like ours, he struggled even more than some of us and today he is a household name, worldwide, he was an all-round musician.


Tell us how you maintain your physique, what is your ‘work-out’ schedule/diet like? You do ‘work-out’ right?
Well, I eat real bad, I eat all ‘kinda’ *#@! (laughs), ok but sometimes I really try to eat well, there are the times that I really do. I go to the gym, I try to do that often, oh, and I cleanse myself every now and then ‘nah’, if you know what I mean, take ‘ah’ purge (laughs). I do a bit of cardio and weights also.


Admit it, you have all those adoring fans screaming your name, does it ever become a bother, how do you deal with this?
Oh, it’s always flattering! Fans do cross the line sometimes though, for example, in the Cayman Islands, we went for a celebration called “Pirate’s week” and during that week we became very popular. One night we came home from a gig and there were these two girls camping outside the apartment where I was staying. You sort of had to be running at times and then again, there was this time a girl hacked into the computer of the place I was staying and got my room number and the time I was leaving, that type of information and she came to the airport to meet us. She admitted this to us. But on the other hand, it’s always great with the fans, a great rush, there’s nothing like it!


We read that you have a girlfriend, how does she deal with all the attention given to you by your female fans? (Oh, by the way, feel free to mention your gf’s name if you wish!)
Well, I wouldn’t mention her name but some people know her, so if you know her, you know her (laughs). Well she, actually, we are coping with it and also she has a similar type of work as she is in the public’s eye as well. We are very understanding of each-others lives. We click in that way, we don’t let our jobs get in the way of our personal lives.


We know Imij & Company is very versatile, however, what type of music do you personally prefer performing, soca or alternative/pop?
Personally, I enjoy performing any of my or the band’s original compositions, whether it be soca, rock, reggae, it doesn’t matter. Basically, overall once it’s our music, I like doing it.


Where do you enjoy ‘liming’ or spending your spare time, that is, if you have any?!
Spare time, hanging out, you mean like parties and stuff? Actually, I like to go to Tobago in the most secluded places. Also, it depends on my mood as well, sometimes I want to be very quiet or at times things can become very wild!


Giving you further character are your dreadlocks, what inspired you to grow them?
It feels natural. I always wanted to grow my hair, it’s nothing religious though, but it is spiritual, it becomes a part of you, it’s like a spiritual journey – a journey of your past life and also I wanted to do it more so for style, so I did.


So, are you one of those who go to the river and get your hair washed?
Actually, spring water is really good for it! If I get the time I go, but if not, that’s ok. It’s not like ‘Jah Selassi’ ‘kinda’ thing (laughs). But it’s hard work and also because of my mix (black/white/carib), it takes a lot of work, so when ‘yuh’ see somebody with ‘ah’ good set of dreadlocks just know it’s takes real work and maintenance to keep it that way!


To date, in which countries has the band performed and where did the band have the most memorable experience?
Well, Antigua, Jamaica, Miami, Grenada, Cayman Islands, I think that’s it. This year we are going to Canada for Caribana. The best experience probably would have to be in Miami, we won best band on the road, it was our first year performing there and we are going back this year. Over there, generally abroad I think people appreciate the music more, don’t get me wrong, performing in Trinidad is great but you ‘kinda’ tend to have to work harder to impress a Trinidadian crowd, that’s why we practice really hard. We give our best here to please the crowd, so when we go away, because of our experience home, we go out there and do our best and people would be like, “Wow! You could sing” For example, what I mean is, if Sean Paul performs here, he would really have to perform to impress the crowd, but if he performs away, he doesn’t have to do much on a stage to have people screaming and bawling if you know what I mean, that’s why when we perform in Trinidad we put out our best even more!


What can we expect from Imij and Company for Carnival 2004?
Am…I would say, well for sure we want the public to know about us a little bit more, for Carnival, nothing too different from the norm really. We’re going to the studios soon, to do other stuff than soca for now, we want to enter the Decibel Showcase, it’s a good opportunity, and well we’re working on a video for our song, “Push”. Basically, during the year we do more stuff than just for Carnival alone, but don’t worry we are in the works of doing some more stuff soon.


Where do you see the band in five (5) years?
‘Yuh neva know!’ I can’t say because tomorrow can bring so much! Right now ‘ah not studying dat!’, I dealing with now (laughs).


Describe yourself in three words.
Hm, that’s like the hardest question, very, very hard! For one I would have to say clumsy, really! This question really hard boy, clumsy, sensitive (both good and bad) and creative. So yeah, clumsy, sensitive and creative.


Is there anything you would like the public to know?
Well, for those of you reading, follow what’s in your heart and mind. I do that. Just give everything a good shot! ‘Doh do what everybody else tell yuh tuh do!” Follow your dream. Oh, and visit our website, www.imijandco.com and make sure to sign our guestbook!