AMERICAN R&B Grammy award winning artistes Toni Braxton and musician-cum-producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds on Friday night proved their prowess on the microphone with an energetic performance that left many fans clamouring for more at their debut African joint concert at the Borrowdale Racecourse.
Winstone Antonio
Contrary to what usually happens when international artistes come to perform in Zimbabwe where they interact with the media, both musicians kept a very low profile only to appear in public on the day of the show.
The duo, who performed with a live band, were a marvel to watch during their separate and joint performances, much to the delight of fans who had parted with a staggering $40 for the ordinary ticket, $100 for VIP and $150 for VVIP tickets to see the pair perform live.
Despite some of the local fans earlier expressing outrage over the “ridiculously” high price of the show, the concert venue was packed to the rafters with the most expensive closets full.
Dressed in a blue jacket and black trousers, Babyface opened the show just after 9pm at a time most mature citizens and some ready to speed youths were still trooping into the venue, most of them driving top-of-the-range cars.
His performance was elegant with the backing vocalists putting up a splendid showpiece worth the price it came with.
Around 11pm the partying crowd welcomed on stage Braxton who was dressed in an all white attire and was welcomed with a thunderous applause, an indication that she was a well celebrated music icon within the local showbiz scene.
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She did not disappoint.
Opening her performance with the 2007 hit song He Wasn’t Man Enough, Braxton took the crowd into ecstasy as they sang along the hit tune which was followed by another hot jam Seven Whole Days, a 1993 production.
The American sensation delivered another smash hit, You Mean the World to Me, which saw lovebirds swinging and caressing each other as the lyrics of the tune took a romantic heat to ignore.
Through Another Sad Love Song, Braxton had a moment with her fans after she invited two fans (a male and female) to join her on stage serenading the crowd.
The invited fans complemented Braxton well as they sang along, much to the delight of the crowd. Braxton went on to belt out other hits like Just Be A Man About It, Let It Flow written and produced by Babyface.
The musician again invited fans onto the stage, but this time it was a couple when she sang the song Breath Again that saw the couple later showcasing their love and affection for each other by kissing on the stage.
She went on a short five-minute break around 11:37pm after which she came back dressed in a white swim suit-like outfit singing the song You’re Making Me High as she later went on to invite four male fans on the stage who did not disappoint as they sang along well with the American icon.
After the song, Braxton saluted local fans for coming to the concert;“It is my first time to be here and I love you. I had a disease and my doctor once told me that I was not able to perform ever again as my career was finished, but God had other plans for me,”she said.
After the statement, she went on to perform I Wish, which she said was a dedication to her mother.
Probably the most memorable moment of the show was when Babyface joined Braxton on the stage as they performed their duet Soul Train 92 before Braxton capped the night with a bung Un-break My Heart as she waved goodbye to her fans.
During the entire show, fans were kept on their toes dancing and singing along with many embracing each other, creating a romantic atmosphere at the concert.
After the Zimbabwe show, the duo tonight performs in South African at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, followed by Cape Town at Grand Arena, Grandwest on September 1 before rounding off the tour in Johannesburg on September 3 and 4 at The Ticket Pro Dome.
Braxton, a singer extraordinaire, producer and songwriter has sold over 67 million records, including 41 million albums,worldwide. She has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards and seven American Music Awards. Aside from her success in music, Braxton has become a television executive producer and personality.
Babyface, who is one of the world’s best producers, has written and produced many hits throughout his career, and has won 11 Grammy Awards. He has produced several hits for some of the world’s finest acts, among them the late Whitney Houston, Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé and Diana Ross.
The duo collaborated on their latest Grammy award winning album Love, Marriage and Divorce, which chronicles their life experiences.
The album has been number one in southern Africa as both Braxton and Babyface’s popularity continues to grow on the African continent.
