Grammy-award winning entertainer Sean Paul was excited to perform in Bahrain yesterday - saying he was open to collaborations with young artists from the Middle East.
The singer, who has worked with some of the biggest names in music such as Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, Damien Marley, Snoop Dogg and other artists, said he was thrilled to be here.
He performed at a sold-out concert last night at Klub 360, coinciding with this year's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Despite now being a household name around the world, the 42-year-old told a Press conference earlier in the day at the Elite Crystal Hotel, Juffair, that he once thought it would take him a decade to afford a car.
"I know the F1 is happening now here and I like events that bring people together," said the Jamaican-born star.
"I worked at a bank in Jamaica and once did a calculation that it would take me at least 10 years to own a car at one point."
Sean Paul has an undeniable track record for crafting hit singles such as Deport Them, Gimmie The Light, Like Glue and We Be Burnin.
He shot to fame with Get Busy from the album Dutty Rock, which was a worldwide success and sold more than six million copies.
His most recent hit track What About Us stormed the UK chart at number one.
"Music has provided balance in my life and there are different genres of music out there that is hitting the music scene," he said.
"I come from the roots and continue to work with different artists in Jamaica.
"I was influenced by Arabic, Indian and African songs and am open to work with different artists here, but no-one has approached me yet."
He recalled fond memories of the region by sharing a story of how he took his grandmother to Egypt in 2005.
"She wanted to see the pyramids and it was a dream come true to take her there," he said.
The artist said he was now busy working on different songs and producing for young performers.
He said he was happy that the patois spoken on the streets of Jamaica was now popular in international music.
"It is broken English and that's the way that we speak on the streets in Jamaica," he said.
And his advice for young artists looking to make a name was to "keep it going" and "do it from the start".
"There are several brilliant artists and talents out there people want to see," he said.
