There aren't enough adjectives in my repertoire to define day three of the Bermuda Music Festival. I could start with amazing, incredible, spectacular and seductive, but in the end only two words will do ... Toni Braxton.

Ms Braxton the headliner for the final night of the 15th annual festival on Saturday was, to put it plainly, beyond words.

She brought the house down with the help of local singer Sia Spence, sat on the laps of married public figures and persuaded Premier Ewart Brown to sing an off-key note in front of hundreds of on-lookers.

She made us laugh, nearly cry, scream, dance and sing the night away – and strictly speaking was the best performance of my life so far (and that is no exaggeration).

The night kicked off for me around 7.30 p.m. when I jumped off my scooter and ventured into the Poinciana Ballroom at the Fairmont Southampton.

It was a classy venue, but missing that festival feel perfected in past years – one of my few criticisms of the night.

The show started half an hour later, as hundreds of people flooded into the auditorium to hear the saccharine sweet sounds of 11-year-old Malcolm Hollis.

The adorable performer sang a heart-tugging version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' and paid tribute The Jackson Five by belting out 'ABC'. Equally as impressive as his vocal talents was the story behind Malcolm, who was diagnosed with autism and told he may never speak. But Malcolm defied the odds.

In addition to learning to talk, he developed a passion for music like R&B, soul and pop and has performed at big gigs across the Island including last year's Bermuda Music Festival.

Nikita Robinson, from Hott 107.5, played MC for the night and was spot on.

Her hilarious brand of comedy and storytelling was a great way to pass the time in between sets.

True to diva form she switched outfits three times (though keeping her ponytailed weave intact) and even flaunted a pair of Swarovski-crystal encrusted heels from Clara-Bows on Court Street.

The Chewstick Collective, a series of local spoken word, rap, folk and reggae artists, showed the audience what high-quality local talent is all about.

Nine performers took the stage, including R?ddla, Scarlet, Milton, Derek G, Live Wires and TanZ.

But my personal favourites (biased as it may be) were Djata (a funky singer and guitarist) Stephan Johnston ( a thought-provoking poet) and Zion whose soulful reggae vocals can only be described as electrifying.

But without a doubt the most memorable act of the night came from Ms Braxton herself.

The Grammy award winner belted out all of her big hits, starting with 'Love Should Have Brought You Home' from the hit movie 'Boomerang'.

She shimmied her way across the stage and sang a range of slow songs like 'Another Sad Love Song', 'How Could an Angel Break my Heart' and 'You Mean the World to Me'.

She played a solo on the piano and did a rendition of an Anita Baker favourite, which showcased a whole new dimension to her vocal abilities.

She invited the audience into her personal life by speaking about a cause dare to her heart – autism awareness. The mother of Diesel, diagnosed with autism, also announced that part-proceeds of the event ($12,000) was to be donated to local autism charity BASE.

She shared some of the spotlight with Bermudian vocalist Sia Spence, who was scheduled as an opening act, but was without her band and had to cancel a week ago.

Still, the local songstress got her chance in the limelight and along with Ms Braxton got a standing ovation with their rendition.

Ms Braxton sang everything from hits like 'Breathe Again', 'I Love me Some Him' 'Seven Whole Days' and 'There's No Me Without You'. Then picked up the tempo by performing 'He Wasn't Man Enough For Me', 'You're Making Me High' and new songs from her latest release Pulse like 'Yesterday', 'Woman' and a seductive number called 'Hands Tied'.

She ended with 'Unbreak my Heart' but not before sitting on Paula Cox's husband's lap as well as Premier Ewart Brown's, while his wife Wanda Henton Brown looked on (as a good sport).

It was a night filled with fun, laughter and wonder and I left the ballroom just before midnight with a smile on my face and satisfaction in my soul. Always a Toni Braxton fan, I have to say the show gave me a new appreciation for the artist and reignited my love for music in general. Thank you Toni!