Though based in Hanover, Germany, Marquess drew heavily on the rhythms and sounds of contemporary Latin pop, even recording a number of original songs in the Spanish tongue. The group was led by vocalist Sascha Pierro, a German native previously known for collaborations with Patrick Nuo and Jazzkantine. In 2003, his "Wenn Grenzen" was also in the running for the famed Eurovision Song Contest. Pierro assembled Marquess in early 2006 with guitarist Dominik Decker, bassist Marco Heggen, and keyboardist Christian Fleps. Their debut Warner Music single, "El Temperamento," quickly emerged as one of Europe's break-out summer hits, eventually entering the German Top Ten in advance of the quartet's self-titled LP. 2007 saw the band release their second album, Frenetica. The singles Vayamos Companeros and You and Not Tokio were released. The group was prolific in the following couple of years with the albums YA! and Compañía del Sol being released in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The group took a three-year hiatus and returned with their fifth record, Bienvenido! in 2012. ~ Jason Ankeny