By Ian Nkera Ford
The soulful reggae singer, Alaine Laughton, is expected to bring down the house at Lugogo Cricket Oval tonight alongside dancehall maestro Konshens. She has treated us to some soulful sounds, but how well do we know this endearing singer. Here are some facts you may not have known about her.
Alaine was born on September 21, 1978 in New Jersey but moved back to Jamaica at the age of three.
At an early age she landed many acting roles on Jamaican television, commercials, radio jingles and has confessed to having acting as her first love.
At the age of 9, she was already a Red Cross Ambassador and has been involved in Charity causes ever since.
After hosting a children’s programme at the age of 10, she landed herself an acting slot alongside legendary actress Whoopi Goldberg in the 1988 movie Clara’s Heart.
She did University in Jamaica where she graduated with an Honors Degree in Management and Psychology. She later moved to New York where she landed a juicy job at an Investment Bank, JP Morgan and worked as a banker for four years.
Alaine worked at JP Morgan while doing some songwriting and lending backup vocals to Roca Fella artistes Camron and Freeway.
She later got two promotions at her bank job but the lure of a big cheque never deterred her dreams of being a top singer.
She moved back to Jamaica in 2004 and embarked on a singing career under the tutelage of producers like Don Corleone who is responsible for her timeless hit No Ordinary Love and Serani.
Alaine has listed Marcia Griffith (Queen of Reggae), Bob Marley and Mariah Carey as her biggest music influences.
Alaine dated producer Don Corleone for three years but it ended after the producer made her best friend pregnant. Her working relationship with the producer remains damaged and has mentioned in interviews of how she gets irritated by the mention of his name.
She has been linked romantically to Katy Perry’s boo John Mayer though she refutes the rumours.
She is of African, British and Taino descent but she she says she feels every way African as she is Jamaican.
She commands a huge following in Kenya and she staged the biggest show by a reggae singer sometime last year.
A talented reggae artiste is one true fact about Alaine and she boasts an armoury of soothing sounds like No Ordinary Love,Spin Me,You Are Me,All Or Nothing and many others.So go catch her live tonight
