By Olivia Hutchinson and Al Edwards 

Jamaica has recently been attracting top international R&B talent, and it is hoped that it will continue to do so.

Boyz II Men, Chris Brown and Dionne Warwick have all performed in Jamaica.

The third edition of Live & Direc takes place at the Constant Spring Golf Club in Kingston this evening (June 28). Going off the success of last year’s staging with Boyz II Men, there are high expectations. 

The headline featured artists this year are Brian McKnight and Dru Hill. 

Brian McKnight is a R&B singer, songwriter, producer and arranger. He is also a 16-time Grammy nominee and was once selected as Billboard Songwriter of the Year. McKnight will be bringing soul with songs like ‘Back at One’ and ‘One Last Cry’. 

Brian McKnight has won acclaim for thirty years now. His voice ages like fine wine. Now 56, his lyrics tells stories of a man who has withstood the vicissitudes of life. 

Still handsome, still credible, McKnight resonates with audiences across generations. He is a gifted songwriter and he credits the 90s as the best decade for the genre.

Interviewed by Nick Cannon, Mc Knight gave an insight into his writing process. “Everybody wants to meet somebody, everybody wants to be in love, nobody wants to get hurt, but lots of people do. These are all subjects you can touch on.

“I’m a product of every piece of music I have ever heard, every movie I have ever seen. One of my friends said, ‘ man, I called that girl and she didn’t call me back’, sad, but I write it down.”

He released a single called ‘Faithfully’ to honour ten years since he met his second wife, Leilani.

Brian McKnight was 23 when he made his first album. He has now released over 20 albums, selling 30 million records worldwide. His approach to songwriting is one of a solitary creative process, eschewing commercial success and external validation.

Tonight, Jamaicans will watch a true R&B artist with a longstanding reputation at work.

Dru Hill is another staple in R&B and has carved its legacy in time. They have had success at the Billboard Music Awards and have received the Urban Music Icon Award presented by Black Music Honors. Audiences can expect songs like ‘We’re Not Making Love No More’ and ‘These Are The Times’ at the concert. 

Dru Hill had big hits with ‘In My Bed’, ‘Never Make a Promise’, and ‘How Deep Is Your Love’. The American boy band was founded in 1992 and has recorded seven top 40 hits. This R&B-soul group was initially signed to Island Records, a label founded by Jamaica’s Chris Blackwell. 

Hailing from Baltimore, Dre Hill has been plagued by management disagreements and infighting among the group members.It has changed its line up a number of times and some say it was never the same when Woody walked away.

The current lineup is Sisqo, Nokia, Jazz, Scola and Smoke. Dry Hill is now a five-member outfit. Jazz left for a while, pursuing real estate interests, but returned to the group.

Dru Hill’s first two albums are absolute classics. The band later signed to Def Jam with Sisqo going off  to do a solo project which was critically acclaimed.

In the 90s, Dru Hill gave the likes of Jodeci, Keith Sweat, Backstreet and Tony! Toni! Tone! a run for their money.

Along with these two stars of the genre, local artists  Joby Jay, Christopher Ellis and Mozein Sutherland will be performing tonight. 

 Joby Jay is a reggae singer who was awarded the VM Wealth Breakthrough Artiste of the Year 2022. 

Christopher Ellis, the son of the late Alton Ellis,  is already winning plaudits and has a promising future. He is most certainly one to watch.

Mozein Sutherland is the newcomer, and at just 19, Live & Direc presents an opportunity to show what he can do. He won the Digicel Rising Stars competition in 2022. One gets the impression he will not be daunted by sharing a stage with R&B legends who ruled a generation ago.q11