Jamaica will get a bit more sunshine this Independence weekend from R&B songstress Sunshine Anderson. The singer, who is known for songs such as Heard It All Before, Lunch and Dinner and Something I Wanna Give You, is set to perform in Montego Bay, Jamaica, at the luxury party dubbed 'The Weekend' from August 7 to 9 at Iberostar, Rose Hall.

For Anderson, it has been a long journey to Jamaica, one filled with a few stops and many starts but never a total ending.

First album

In June 2001, Anderson released her first album, Your Woman, on Atlantic Records and quickly became one of Soullife/Atlantic's signature singers. The album debuted at number eight on Billboard's Hot 200 before peaking at number five on that chart and at number two on Top R&B charts. Your Woman was later certified gold with album sales peaking at 750,000 units. But, not unlike many artistes who sang before her, Anderson, who found a friend in manager and fellow artiste Macy Gray, slipped off the radar. After being tangled in a web of record company politics, she found herself without a label.

"After having such success with my first album, it was really devastating to be pushed out of the industry," Anderson recalls about her feelings in the aftermath of her lost record deal. "I took my show on the road, but over time, the crowds paid less attention to what was happening onstage. I remember Macy telling me that I was good as long as folks didn't start walking to the bar, but eventually, my audiences got smaller and smaller."

As the crowd dwindled, so did Sunshine's faith in the music business. "There were days that I barely had the energy to walk downstairs to pay the pizza delivery man," she notes. "I hung dark curtains at my windows because I needed to block everything out. It was a difficult period, but I got through it."

However, by 2004, Sunshine regained her motivation and in August signed to Matthew Knowles' new record label Music World Entertainment. She released an impressive follow-up sophomore effort, Sunshine at Midnight, which featured the singer's signature raspy alto and the ingenious production talents of Raphael Saadiq, Warren Campbell and Dr Dre.

Freedom

Leading the 10-track album was the mid-tempo groove Something I Wanna Give You, produced by Warren Milsap. In the song, Anderson offers freedom to a lover who wasn't really worth the time, and is very serious when she asks that he grab his coat, hat and knapsack. "A lot of people think of me as the 'anthem girl'," said Anderson, "but I really do love the brothers. Sometimes, we just have to call them out when they're slipping."

Difficult times

The song Problems will touch anyone who's had enough of the bad kind. Sunshine's heartfelt delivery is proof that she's been there, felt that, and pulled herself out of the valley.

"I've definitely fought through some difficult times in my life, so I can totally relate to the mood of this song," she says of the Dr Dre-produced track, which she co-wrote. "I've learned that once you have the strength to ask yourself, 'What am I going to do?' you're already on your way to seeing the light."

Anderson, who holds a BSc in criminal justice from the North Carolina Central University in the United States, is well poised to reclaim her reign on the R&B charts after taking time out for family in 2007. She became pregnant in February of that year and was married in July. Though Anderson has been missing from the spotlight, the Winston Salem, North Carolina native has been present behind the scenes penning hit songs for other artistes. She also formed her own label, Shining Star, in 2005.

Much has changed in the music business since Anderson's reign, but she maintains she is still very relevant to the music business.

Something missing

"Not to take anything away from the artistes who are doing their thing right now, but I can definitely hear that there's something missing, especially in the R&B arena," Anderson says. "I'm glad to be back because I want to be the one to fill that void."

Sunshine is set to begin filling that void with her sassy, girl-next-door flavour to the delightful feast of music, food and fine wines at 'The Weekend', this weekend.