Toni Braxton’s island connection

R&B legend Toni Braxton will officially end her more than 10-year performance hiatus in Jamaica as the headline act for Reggae Sumfest’s Night Two.

Braxton got her start in music in the late 1980s through the girl group The Braxtons, which comprised her sisters: Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar. The group was soon signed to the label Arista. By the early 1990s, Toni signed a solo deal with the Atlanta-based label LaFace Records. By 1993, she released her self-titled album, Toni Braxton, which spawned numerous hits, including Another Sad Love Song, Seven Whole Days, How Many Ways, and You Mean the World to Me. The album topped the Billboard Top 200 charts, which led the way for the musician to win three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Her musical success continued in 1996 when she released the album Secrets. The diamond-certified album contained the hits You’re Making Me High and Un-Break My Heart. The album earned her two Grammy Awards. The period also marked Braxton’s first connection with Jamaica when Mad Cobra would jump on the remix for You’re Making Me High. A few years later, in 2001, Braxton released the single Christmas in Jamaica featuring Shaggy. After years of vacationing on the island with her family, Braxton finally made her debut Jamaican performance in 2009 when she was the headline act for International Night Two at Reggae Sumfest.

In the days before her performance, she told The Gleaner in a telephone interview in July 2009: “I’m really excited to be coming to Jamaica. I love the people, the culture, the food ... It’s going to be great to entertain them, and they’re gonna entertain me, and I can’t wait to hear something different and hear the new music and maybe borrow some influences. People will definitely have a good time and enjoy themselves.”

After her lauded performance at the festival, she went on to release several projects, including the collaborative album Love, Marriage and Divorce, with her long-time colleague Babyface. In that same year, Braxton returned to Jamaica for the 2014 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, held at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. Coincidentally, Babyface performed on Night Two of last year’s staging of Reggae Sumfest, and Toni Braxton will be doing the same this year.

As Joe Bogdanovich, chief executive officer of Downsound Entertainment and executive producer of Reggae Sumfest, told Caribbean Life: “Her addition marks a bold new chapter for the festival and underscores its growing global appeal ... Toni’s soul-drenched vocals and timeless hits introduce a different kind of emotional gravity. It’s a bold move that expands the festival’s appeal while staying true to its roots.”

Braxton herself is excited for her grand return to the Jamaican stage. As she stated in a May 19 Instagram post: “JAMAICA, it’s been too long! I’m heading back to @reggaesumfest and I can’t wait to see you all on 7/19!”

J.T. Davy is a member of Tenement Yaad Media, where she writes and co-produces their popular historical podcast, ‘Lest We Forget’. Send feedback to jordpilot@hotmail.com and entertainment@gleanerjm.com.