GRAMMY winners Toni Braxton and Chrisette Michele, as well as chart-topping crooner Aaron Neville are the first big names signed for the 18th staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival scheduled for January 30 – February 1, 2014, the Jamaica Observer has learnt.

The popular festival, which will be held at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on Jamaica’s north coast, is expected to sign other major acts who will be announced in the coming weeks.

Braxton captured six Grammy Awards with hits such as Un-break My Heart, Spanish Guitar, and Breathe Again and captured a prominent spot in the hearts of Jamaicans with her smooth vocals.

Chrisette Michele, whose hits include Epiphany and A Couple Of Forevers, won a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song Be OK.

Neville’s mega hit Don’t Know Much ignited Jamaica in 1989.

He has had four top-20 hits in the United States, including three that went to number one on Billboard’s adult contemporary chart and one that hit number one on the R&B chart.

He has four platinum-certified albums and, in addition to his solo career, has recorded with his brothers Cyril, Art, and Charles as The Neville Brothers.

Described as Jamaica’s most diverse three-day music festival, the event is shaping up to be another outstanding staging with patrons locally and from overseas already making advanced ticket purchases.

The Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival is also renowned as a launching pad for some of the nation’s outstanding talents, including Tessanne Chin, Roots Underground, and Romain Virgo.