Above: Tessanne Chin
EVERY ONCE in a while, an artist comes around that manages to transcend performance. This year, it was certainly Jamaica’s Tessanne Chin.
The native of Kingston and reggae fusion singer captured the attention of Jamaica and the world with her stellar, series-winning performance on season five of the NBC television show “The Voice.”
Performing week after week in front of a national audience (and a row of judges like Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera), Chin showed why Jamaican artists continue to transcend their relatively small island nation.
She also managed to do something more remarkable — unite not just Jamaica and its Diaspora, but the wider region. On the night she won, she was not simply a Jamaican star. She was a Caribbean star.
Indeed, it wasn’t uncommon to see nationals from across the Caribbean cheering on Chin with as much gusto as her Jamaican fans, seeming to view her success as one of regional importance.
Congratulations to Tessanne on an outstanding year. We look forward to hearing even more from you.
— CJ